Will to Power V:
Gazing into the Abyss

Angyl and Orithain

Disclaimers: Neither of us is the ghost of Gene
Roddenberry, so no, not ours. Except for Loki.

He who fights with
monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if
you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.

~ Beyond Good and Evil;
Friedrich Nietzsche, 1886

Tyr sat back and stared at the message that heíd just
received in his quarters, grateful that this was Harperís shift in
Engineering. He needed some time to think about this, to decide how best to
proceed, before saying anything to his mate... if in fact he ever did.

He looked at the images sent to him by his brother Balder,
whom he had sent to Earth to discover the whereabouts of Harperís family
and to see if the Dragansí grip on the human home world was quite as firm
as they would have everyone believe.

Balder had not been overly pleased by the mission, sharing
many Nietzscheansí opinion of the value of and proper place for kludges,
but he was not ready to challenge Tyr for his position, and so he went. Tyr
had to admit to a certain relief in having his brother far away from his new
wife, Elsbet Mossadim, the former Sabra First Daughter, the woman Balder had
wanted for his own First Wife.

His discontent notwithstanding, Balder had fulfilled his
mission, even sending back a picture of the one remaining member of Harperís
family, a cousin whom Harper had mentioned frequently when talking about his
past, Brendan Lahey. Now Tyr had to decide what to do about it.

He knew if he told Harper, the human would want to rescue
his last living relative, but even though the Drago-Katzov prideís status
was slipping, they had a strong grip on Earth. It would be a battle to wrest
it from them, and while Tyr was confident of his abilities, was this the
right time to make the attempt?

The door opening let him know that he had to make the
decision now, and he hesitated for an instant, then allowed the image to
remain on the monitor as Harper entered their quarters.

"Hey there, tall, dark and uber," Harper grinned
as he strolled into their quarters, removing his tool belt and placing it
neatly by the door. Whoíd have thought his perfect lover was a perfectly
anal neat freak? The human chuckled to himself as he toed off his work boots
and nudged them sort of into the corner before walking up behind Tyr in
order to bury his face in the dark, fragrant mass of his mateís hair,
burrowing in long enough to press a kiss on the Nietzscheanís neck.

"So, what are you working oóBrendan?" Harperís
jaw dropped, and he moved around to Tyrís side to take a better look at
the older cousin heíd looked up to with hero-worship during his barely
remembered stay in the slave camps on Earth. Heíd idolized his cousin with
everything he had and had tried to live up to Brendanís example of
resistance and defiance... which had led to his banishment from Earth to the
slave factories of the Orca.

The last heíd seen of Brendan, the older boy had been
fighting with the Dragans with every fiber of his being, trying to get to
Harper as he was being led onto the slave transport, and then Brendan was
shot and falling. Harper had thought his cousin was dead, and it had been
another cross for him to bear in silence, but now... "Brendan is alive?
But how? Where? Tyr, whatís going on?"

"Iíve been checking up on your family, trying to find
out what happened to them. He," nodding to the image, "is the last
one left alive. Although Iím frankly amazed heís survived this long. Heís
a member of the human resistance against the Dragans, one with a price on
his head. Heís managed to annoy them quite thoroughly, to the point that
theyíre about to go after him specifically." Left unsaid was the fact
that Brendan wouldnít stand a chance if that happened.

"Oh God." Harper stumbled over to the couch and
sat heavily on it, his mind working at slip drive speed while his body tried
to keep up. Brendan alive. And a resistance leader and... "I need to go
help him, Tyr. I know it might be hard for you to convince your PrideóI
mean Iím a kludge, and soís Brendanóbut I need to go. Will you let me
go with the Maruís crew, please?

So quickly the moment of decision had come upon him. He
could let the humans go, keeping Kodiak out of it, or he could take the
chance of expanding their influence and give Harper something he wanted at
the same time. It wasnít much of a choice.

"We may be able to gain both our desires," he
said, turning to face Harper, brown eyes sharply focused. "You to save
your cousin, and I... I to destroy the Drago-Katzov influence once and for
all."

"You realize that youíre talking about going to war
with the biggest Pride in the Nietzschean Empire, right? I mean the first
pride, the one that was named after your progenitor guy. I know Kodiakís
almost as big, and now it has Sabra as allies, but do you really want to do
this?" Harper asked slowly. He loved Tyr just that much more for
offering, but he couldnít in good conscience let his lover go to war over
his cousin. He could go to war but not the Kodiaks.

"For the first time Kodiak is in a position to change
that, to take the Dragans down and be rid of them. I have been toying with
the idea for some time, but certain other considerations distracted me, and
then the Orca attack made it impossible for a time. But now, with the
alliance with the Sabra, we are more powerful than ever. It is time to seize
pre-eminence."

Harper looked at his mate with shadowed eyes. "And then
youíll be the Pride Alpha of the strongest Pride in the known universe,
well, the known united one. Itís what you always dreamed of." And
what I fear more than anything, even Magog infestation, Harper thought
to himself.

Taking a deep breath, he buried his fears, for they were his
and his alone. He trusted Tyr to be Tyr and the Nietzschean he loved.
"On the bright side, if Loki finds out thereís another ĎHarperí
out there, he might leave yours alone," the human chuckled. "Not
that heís tried anything since you warned him, but heís still
fascinated. Why I just canít figure out, but he is. Whoíd have thought
with all your genetic superiority that you would have one fatal weakness -
Harper loviní?"

"My son has good taste... and a disturbing lack of
sense of self-preservation," Tyr half growled. Now he was determined to
find this cousin. He had not considered the possibility, but if Loki could
be distracted, it would please him. He was amused by his sonís desires but
not to the point that he would allow him to touch Harper.

"Like father like son," Harper grinned, sprawling
on the couch and relegating Brendan to the back of his mind until he had
some alone time to process itólike when he was putting the final tweaks
and touches into Rommieís avatar body. "Seems to me you have very
little self-preservation when it comes to the Harper as well, chasing around
the galaxy, risking life and ship, raiding brothels and training
facilities..."

"Getting you out of the trouble you manage to find is a
full-time occupation." Tyr shook his head, pushing away from his desk
and pacing toward Harper, tossing aside his shirt as he did. Coming to a
halt in front of the couch, thumbs hooked into the waistband of his leather
pants, he grinned down at the blond. "And a thankless task
apparently."

"Ahh, but I wasnít in trouble at Uncle Sidís. I was
an employee," Harper grinned, knowing he was pushing his luck but not
caring. Growly, possessive Tyr was his favorite of all the various sides of
his lover. There was something safe in the way Tyr claimed ownership at
those times, almost like coming home. "Made damn good money too, almost
enough to buy my own ship, can you believe?"

The furious snarl that escaped the big Nietzschean was still
reverberating in the room when he landed on top of Harper, pressing him down
into the cushions. "No one else touches you," he growled.
"You. Are. Mine!" He bit down on Harperís throat, just short of
breaking the skin, lifting himself just enough to tear at the blondís
clothes.

"Oh, God, yes!" Harper moaned, luxuriating in the
way Tyr just took over and dominated him. "I know Iím yours now. Then
I was confused and scared and angry but now... all yours, only yours. Forever
yours!" the human swore fervently as Tyrís tongue lapped at the blood
his second bite had drawn, making Harperís body shudder with ecstasy.

"Yes." The single word was all that Tyr was
willing to take time for, his mouth more pleasurably occupied with seeking
out all the sensitive spots on Harperís body, making his mate squirm and
moan. Still wearing the tight leather pants, Tyr wedged a leg between Harperís
and rubbed the smooth fabric against Harperís dripping cock, arousing him
still more.

Writhing against Tyrís leather clad leg, his cock dripping
with pre-come as he rubbed against something hard and firm and... "Oh
God!" the young man whimpered as he found and worried a patch of the
Nietzscheanís skin between his teeth, all the while continuing his
grinding dance against his loverís leg.

Grunting and moaning and gasping as they teased each other
to greater arousal, Harper felt himself begin to shake with arousal. So
close, so very... "TYR!" the young man wailed as his body tensed
and shook, and he came against the leather of Tyrís pants just from the
foreplay alone.

"Thatís one." Tyr picked Harper up and carried
him to the bed, putting him down at the edge before pulling off his own
pants. Staring down at the limp and satiated human, Tyr stood between his
legs and pressed inside him slowly, a fraction at a time.

"One?" Harper whimpered as he felt Tyrís
thickness slide into him inch by excruciatingly slow inch. "Oh fuck, itís
gonna be one of those nights, isnít it?" the younger man continued,
not sure if he should be pleased at the fact he was going to be a well
fucked pile of goo or worried for his vocal chords and the shredding he knew
they were about to receive.

"Yes." Tyrís voice was a possessive growl, and
he lightly scraped his arm spikes over Harperís nipples then along his
cock, knowing how his lover reacted to that.

Breath hitching, Harperís body responded on contact like
the good little Pavlovian dog he was when it came to being played with by
his lover. And he didnít really mind the comparison, not when it came to
Tyr. After all, anyone in their right mind would love to wrap their mouth
around his loverís Ďboneí, but that was something only Harper did...
Well, Harper and the bitch planetside and whatever other wives Tyr took
eventually, but Seamus wasnít going there.

Moaning, the humanís head thrashed back and forth, and his
hands fisted on the comforter that had found its way onto the bed some time
ago when Tyr had found out that Harper got cold in space. Just one more of
those little things that had the human head over heels crazy for his Nietz.

Wrapping his legs around Tyrís waist, Harperís feet
pressed against the older manís ass, trying to get him to go faster, get
deeper. "Címon, Tyr, please?" He begged without shame.
"Just fuck me already."

"I am. Canít you feel me?" To make sure that he
could, Tyr suddenly slammed forward, driving as deep inside Harper as he
could go, then stilled, holding Harper motionless as he filled him.

"Oh God!" Harper gasped, body arching and jaw
going slack as he was filled to the point of exploding. Heíd forgotten to
stick a butt plug in this morning, and now he was virginal all over again,
thanks to the nanobots.

Thank God they also repaired the damage caused by being
cherry picked over and over again, so Harper knew heíd actually be able to
sit in the morning and eat solid food too. Gross but a fact of his life heíd
come to live with; after all, when you had a lover the size of a fucking
tree...

Moaning, the younger man felt his body adjust and give even
as he lunged up to bite Tyrís shoulder hard. "Youíre not moving, so
how can that be fucking? Now move!" he demanded hotly.

"Demanding little Pet," Tyr laughed, slowly
pulling back, inch by torturous inch, until only the very tip of him
remained inside Harper, then slamming back inside him again. He repeated the
motion over and over, never releasing his iron grip on Harperís hips so
all the human could do was lie there and take it, mewling for more.

"Da-damn straight I am. Oh God, Tyr!" Harper
wailed, as he was fucked hard and fast until he felt like one giant,
throbbing nerve. His eyes fell shut, and his breathing became labored while
his hands clenched and unclenched on the comforter.

It didnít take much for a body trained to be a sex toy and
a man in love with his mate to be re-aroused, and all too soon he felt the
burn at the base of his spine that heralded an orgasm, and then he was
coming, streaks of semen splattering across his stomach and chest as Tyrís
cock continued to plunge in and out of him.

Tyr laughed darkly, never stopping, simply changing his
rhythm as he continued to pump in and out of Harperís receptive body.
Tonight he wanted Harper again and again, planning to keep him up all night
and wring every last bit of response out of him. For whatever reason, all
the Nietzscheanís possessive instincts had been roused, and he intended to
claim his mate thoroughly.

He growled as the spasms of Harperís climax rippled around
him, but he was nowhere near losing control and simply rode them out before
shifting them so they were lying on the bed, his hips never faltering in
their rhythm.

By the time third watch rolled around, Harper was a severely
dehydrated, totally hoarse and completely well fucked Nietzschean pet. He
had been taken on the bed in every position possible, up against the wall,
in the shower, over the couch, in the chair, on the floor, on the dresser,
over the table, against the door, against the com unit, over a desk, on the
bathroom counter, straddling the toilet and a few more ways that his tired
brain couldnít remember.

Even now Tyrís cock was once more buried in his ass as his
lover was spooned up behind him, moving slowly and almost lethargically,
petting and stroking his human soothingly. "Tyr," he managed to
croak out, his throat feeling like it had been through a blender, "canít
come anymore; Iím well and truly fucked, really I am!"

His hand curling around the not quite soft cock, Tyr
chuckled and bit gently on the nape of Harperís neck. "Oh, I think
that you can manage one more... and then you can sleep." He wanted to
come as well, finally sated by their night of sex, the room reeking of them
now, which soothed him.

Whining weakly, Harper let his head sag back against Tyrís
shoulder, feeling his body, impossibly, rouse again. Only Tyr could do this
to him, play him so well that even when he wanted to do nothing more than
drag his sorry ass into the shower, hose off and then crawl back into bed
and sleep for a month, he felt himself spring back into action one final
time. "Youíre trying to kill me, arenít you?"

"Never. Youíre mine, Harper, mine." The growl
came directly in his ear an instant before sharp teeth closed on the lobe,
nipping and tugging, and Tyrís hips began to move fractionally faster. His
hand continued to move on Harperís erection, arm spikes brushing his
belly, adding a spice of danger.

Whimpering, Harper twined his fingers through Tyrís and
held on weakly as his lover laid claim to him one last time this night. He
could feel every ridge of Tyrís shaft as the older man moved within him,
could count his loverís heartbeats on his back. It was comforting and
arousing even though he was sore and tired and so dehydrated that his tongue
stuck to the roof of his mouth and his throat felt like raw hamburger.

In spite of all of that he was hard again. Harper guessed he
was well and truly a slut when it came to Tyr, butóhe grinnedóthere were
worse things in life to be around his uber lover. Mewling in near silence,
he let his eyes fall shut and let Tyr move in him and over him and around
him, riding his arousal instead of letting it ride him.

Tyr continued stroking Harperís sticky cock in time with
his almost languid thrusts inside him, their arousal almost gentle this time
after hours of hard fucking. Slowly, it built, finally breaking over both of
them almost simultaneously.

Collapsing, spent, onto the bed, Harper whimpered almost
painfully as Tyr pulled out. He felt raw both inside and out and knew that
he had to be dripping come from his ass constantly, but he was too damn
tired to do anything about it. He also wanted some Sparky cola, but there
was no way he was going to get up and get it.

Mewling as Tyr picked him up and carried him into the
bathroom, he snuffled and buried himself into his loverís chest, trusting
Tyr to take care of him completely. The Nietzschean captain easily supported
his lover as he washed them both in the shower, dried them off and carried
Harper back to the bed. He laid him down against the pillows, veering off to
get a can of that sugared caffeine that Harper loved before sliding in
beside him and pulling the comforter over the exhausted human.

Sipping the cola slowly, feeling the carbonation give his
raw throat a pleasurable burn as well as begin to hydrate his parched body
again, Harper lounged against the Nietzscheanís chest. "So, he
whispered, not yet willing to strain his vocal chords even though he was
sure the nanobots were busily repairing the damage to his body, "youíre
really going to war against the Dragans.

"Does anyone else know about Brendan?" he asked,
his mind already spinning scenarios. It was actually eerie how
Nietzschean-like in his thinking he was becoming, not that heíd ever say
that to Tyróthe uber might let it go to his head, after all.

"Only my brother Balder. Heís the one who tracked him
down. But he and his ship are still just outside the Terran system, waiting
for orders from me. No one will use your cousin as a hostage, Harper. Iíll
do everything possible to get him free."

"I canít believe Iím going to say this, but right
now Iím more concerned with someone using your obvious affection for your
human kludge of a lover against you. And before you start growling, I know
you donít think of me as a kludge and neither do the command staff and the
engineering staff as well as a good portion of the ship, but theyíre in
the minority, Tyr, and you need to be realistic about this.

"If someone wants to challenge you for position, this
would be the way theyíd do it; youíre declaring war on the oldest pride
over a kludge. Youíve got to play this right and play it smart. And you
can start by making sure your brother stays quiet and busy. I wouldnít
trust him farther than I can throw him. Iíve done some reading up on your
next sibling and... well, you need to watch your back; thatís all Iím
gonna say on the matter."

Harper took a deep breath and continued. "If youíre
gonna do this, youíre gonna have to let me and the Maru do our part. You
take care of the war, and we take care of Brendan. That way, if no one but
you knows what weíre doing, itíll look like I took advantage of the
situation to get my cousin out of danger and not like you did this just to
make me happy. Balder can say what the hell he likes, but there wonít be
any way to link you if no one knows, not even Rommie."

Tyr didnít like it, but he knew Harper was right. "I
will not send you entirely alone, even though I did plan to make use of the
Maru and its crew. Agravaine Rhade will go with you, however." Seeing
that Harper was about to protest, he continued, "I do not believe he
would allow Hunt to go without him, Pet."

"What do you mean?" Harper asked, glancing back
over his shoulder to see the amusement written all over Tyrís face.
"You mean Dylanís letting a Nietz do him? No fucking way! And a male
Nietz at that. Does Beka know?"

"You must be the only person on the ship who doesnít
know," Tyr said, amused. "And yes, Captain Valentine is aware. I
believe she helped them along, since Rhade was constrained by the unique
status of your friends aboard this ship, and Hunt appeared rather blind to
the whole situation. That woman would make a stupendous matriarch."

"Sheís human, Tyr. I somehow donít think thatís
allowed. I mean can you picture Beka Valentine as the Kodiak Pride
matriarch? Your progenitor would roll over in his grave or something,"
Harper snorted. "And hey, Iíve been kinda busy taking care of my baby
and giving her a body and having you do wicked things to my body. Besides, I
havenít seen them since we got back from... oh man, you mean theyíve
been doiní it since you got married to the viper? And no one told me?! How
rude!"

"I didnít mean of my pride, Harper! But she has the
right attitude, if humans had matriarchs.

"And yes, Hunt, Valentine and Rhade reached some sort
of an accommodation while they were on the planet. I have not inquired too
closely since it is none of my concern. Rhade will have to marry soon
though. Fortunately, one of my sisters finds him interesting and is not
likely to object to his human lovers so long as no child results."

About to jump to the defense of his Ďsisterí, Harper
wisely bit his tongue, knowing that it was an argument that neither would
win and both would end up hurting from. A human and a Nietzschean just
shouldnít discuss anything to do with opinions on mating, procreation and
worthiness. Especially when said human and Nietzschean were sleeping
together.

Grunting noncommittally, Harper quickly finished his cola
and snuggled back into Tyrís arms. "Night, Tyr," he yawned,
closing his eyes and willing his mind to stop its hamster on a wheel
spinning in circles thing that it had going on. "Talk in the morning,
Ďkay?" Or hopefully never again on this particular subject.

Tyr left for the bridge the next morning after suggesting
that Harper talk to Beka and Hunt and see if they had any ideas for getting
them all onto Earth. "Including Rhade," Tyr added emphatically.
"Youíre not going without him. And you might want to see if your
friend Rafe wants to go along as well. It might help him to strike back at
someone. And if he goes, so will the purple girl. I have a feeling that she
may prove to be more than she appears."

"Yes sir, Captain Anasazi sir!" Harper saluted
smartly before ducking the hand that was aimed at his ass. "Hey, I was
agreeing with you!" he grinned, running around the other side of the
sofa to avoid a stalking Tyr. "Youíre gonna be late if you donít
get to the bridge, and I need to plan a rescue mission. And you are
staying out of it from this point on!"

Tyr growled but had conceded that he was going to be late at
least and left a chuckling Harper behind him.

"Rommie, can you have Beka, Dylan, Rafe, Trance
and," Harper sighed and conceded defeat, "Mr. Rhade come to the
captainís quarters, and then engage privacy mode when they get here. Not
even you can overhear, Rom-doll."

"Understood, Harper. But if I might suggest, if you can
have my avatar up and running by the time we get to Earth... the captain wonít
utilize it, but it could aid you."

"Great idea, Romster, thanks!"

Shortly afterward, the people Harper had summoned arrived at
the captainís quarters, Rhade somewhat surprised to be included with the
humans and very curious as to what was going on.

Trance watched Rafe closely, a little worried by how heíd
react to close proximity to a Nietzschean, no matter that Rhade was Kodiak
not Orca. She also had some disturbing flashes of their future and promised
herself to be on her guard.

"Whatís up, Harper?" Beka wanted to know,
settling on one end of a sofa, Dylan and Rhade taking the other two spots.

"Rommie, engage the lock so that no one can get in,
even Tyr, and then engage privacy mode please," Harper requested first,
despite the raised eyebrows and Rhadeís openly hostile look.

"As you wish Harper. Privacy mode being engaged,
Andromeda out."

Taking a deep breath, Harper looked at everyone in the room,
his face more serious than it had been in a long time. "First of all,
this isnít a coup, Rhade; Tyr knew about the meeting and suggested your
presence. Well, actually he ordered it, but he also figured you wouldnít
let," and at this point Harper actually smirked, "Dylan and Beka
go anywhere without you. Oh and thanks for keeping me up to speed,
purpleness; when Tyr told me, I nearly choked!"

Dylanís blush was more than amusing, but the look of shock
that Rafe turned on his sister was unexpected. "Okay, so maybe I wasnít
the only one who didnít know."

Trance giggled slightly. "How was I supposed to know
that you were totally oblivious to what was going on under your nose?"
Seeing the look Rafe now turned on her, she placed a gentle hand on his
shoulder. "You had no way of knowing; you donít spend time with them,
Rafe. And neither Beka nor I was sure how you would react. We thought it was
better to wait to tell you."

"What exactly are you planning, human?"
Rhade wanted to know.

"Geez, keep this up and Iím gonna tell Tyr to rethink
letting his sister marry you, Mr. Grouchy pants," Harper shot back,
sticking out his tongue at the first officer before shooting Dylan a Ďweíre
gonna talkí look.

Rafe watched the interaction between his sister, Hunt and
the Nietzschean with hooded eyes. He wasnít sure what he thought about
this right now. He couldnít deny that these Nietzes werenít like the
Orca, but they were still boneheads. Only time would tell. His hand
unconsciously reached for Tranceís, his lifeline and his sanity. "And
finding out like this was better?" he asked Trance, his voice low and
private.

"You werenít going to like it regardless," she
shrugged, moving a little closer, fingers tightening on his.

"I was going to tell you, Rafe, just not yet. I didnít
think you needed to hear about it yet... and frankly, Iím still not sure
exactly where this is going." Beka glanced across Dylan at Rhade, who
met her gaze.

Rhade simply nodded, also uncertain. Heíd started this
because he wanted Hunt, but somewhere along the line heíd found himself
wanting the human female as well. As for the other... "I do not believe
my marriage is any concern of yours, Harper," he said coldly.

"Knock it off, Rhade," Dylan ground out before
Harper could open his mouth. "Harperís family to not only Beka and me
but to Tyr; besides youíre being obnoxious."

"Umm, thanks boss," Harper grinned shyly. "So
Iím still part of the family, hunh? Means a lot to hear that."

Ducking his head to hide the blinking away of sudden
moisture in his eyes, Harper cleared his throat. "What Iím going to
say canít leave this room. Tyr knows Iím telling you, so itís cool
that way, but... Kodiakís about to declare war on the Dragans. First
target is Earth."

Rhade stood up, irritated both with Harper for talking about
what did not concern him and Dylan for his comment. "I will speak to
the captain. If he insists that I accompany you, I will do so. Otherwise,
you can keep this in your Ďfamilyí."

"Oh for cryiní out... Look, Iím sorry I made that
crack; Iíd never say anything like that to Tyr. Thatís between you and
him and his sister, and I know that. However, Iím gonna damn well protect my
family from the same sort of hell I went through when I found out after the
fact, so youíd better get used to that too," Harper snapped, glaring
at the Nietzschean, not the least bit intimidated by the uber attitude.

"Nice to know that youíve been guarding my sorry ass
for all these months and you think so fucking highly of me, Rhade," the
younger man continued bitterly. "Now will you sit down, and shut up for
a minute because Iím not through."

Hesitating, Rhade stood at the door for a moment, then
turned back to face them, arms crossed over his chest. Although he remained
in the room, he did not relent far enough to sit back down.

Turning back to the others, Harper tried to unclench his
fists and relax. "The other news is that my cousin Brendan is alive and
is leading the human resistance against the Dragans. Heís been targeted to
die for his constant interference and his ability to organize and lead a
bunch of dumb ass kludges with no weapons against the Dragans and turn them
into a damned good resistance movement that is actually gaining ground.

"Tyr gave the Maru crew carte blanche as to what we do
when we get to Earth. Meaning we can rescue Brendan and aid the resistance
within reason while the Kodiaks engage the Drago-Katzovs. Iím hoping you
guys will help me. Well, not everyone will be there to help me, that
much is obvious, but... I hope my family will give me a hand," he
finished, looking at from Dylan and Beka to Trance and Rafe.

"Of course weíll help, Harper," Dylan replied
immediately, getting up to go stand next to his friend. "Friends help
friends, and so does family."

"Have I told you how glad I am to call you my brother,
Dylan Hunt?" Harper replied with a watery smile.

"Carte blanche?" Rafe asked, his eyes lighting up
with something truly deadly. "And will we get the weapons we need to
pull this off?"

"If the captain has, in fact, approved this, then he
will ensure that we are properly armed," Rhade put in from his position
by the door.

Trance frowned, not liking the tone of Rafeís voice, but
perhaps this was what he needed to exorcise his demons. Still she would keep
an eye on him, and she knew that Beka would help her.

"So when do we leave?" Beka wanted to know.

"Tomorrow. Tyr, for reasons Iím not going to get
into, canít know what weíre doing. He needs to, for his part, remain
ignorant of our actions until itís Ďtoo lateí. Letís just say heís
already given up a lot for me, and Iím not going to jeopardize his role in
his pride any more despite what others might think of me. I protect my
family as much as I can, and heís my family too," Harper replied, his
chin jutting out in defiance.

"If I had my way it would be just humans going. Hell, I
can just see the reactions we get when we bring... Never mind, itís not
worth it," the younger man continued bitterly.

"And you humans accuse Nietzscheans of prejudice,"
Rhade said quietly.

Beka frowned at him, but she couldnít disagree, and
Trance... well, Beka wondered if Harper even realized that heíd just
excluded her as well.

"There might be one more Ďpersoní coming with us,
if I can get her finished in time. I hope I can because Iíd really like
her muscle along. I have basic information, and God, I hope we can find him
in time because it sounds like the Dragans are serious."

Swallowing, Harper looked at the humans in the room.
"You gotta know. Earth is like what the Orca slave camps were, only itís
the whole fucking planet. Humans are expendable and worthless. The Dragans
will look at you as cannon fodder, something to fuck whether you want it or
not, something to hunt for sport and to kill because theyíre bored. Stay
low and stay out of their sights; itís the only way to survive. Because if
they catch you and theyíre in a mood, you better pray for deathóitís
kinder."

"Harper," Dylan said thickly. He remembered too
well what he and Beka had rescued their friend from and later what they had
rescued Rafe from. To hear Harper tell them so baldly about what the
conditions on Earth were like was, well, it was terrifying frankly.

"I wanted you to know so you had the chance to say no,
okay?" Harper replied, gruffly. "Tyr doesnít understand what itís
like. Not really. Heís always been on the other side of the fence, and
most Nietzscheans, well, they couldnít care less what the living
conditions of humans are. Weíre just kludges and stuff, but I never, ever
want you guys to be on the receiving end.

"Itís bad enough I couldnít save Rafe, but, Bek,
you and Dylan... Iíd rather die than have that happen to you. Youíve
always been free, so youíve got no real idea. I just want you to be really
sure, okay?" Because regardless of whether or not Dylan, Rafe, Trance
and Beka were going, Harper was. He owed it to Brendan.

"Iím in," Rafe told the younger man firmly.
"Nothing you can say will talk me out of it. I remember too, Harper,
and Iím more than willing to help you make a dent in the Dragan
population. Time to get a little of our own back," the older Valentine
grinned ferally. "Show Ďem that weíre even better survivors than
they are. After all weíve survived them!"

"And if you think that Iím going to let you two
idiots go without me to keep you out of trouble, youíre nuts!" Beka
put in, standing up to hug Harper. "If your cousin is anything like
you, Iím going to have my hands full."

Trance looked a million miles away, then focused on all of
them, her eyes moving from the humans to Rhade and back again. "Youíre
going to need... me." She hadnít seen clearly and thought that
something odd might happen, but she knew that she had to be there, or they
would almost certainly all die.

"And after hearing this, I can see why the captain
insisted that I go along," Rhade admitted, his anger at hearing his
potential as a husband insulted having subsided. "I am the only one who
can infiltrate Dragan installations."

"Trance, itís not that I donít want you to go
along," Harper said, coming to kneel before his friend, "I just
donít want you to get hurt, purpleness. Hell, I donít even want Rhade to
get hurt despite the fact that he obviously hates my guts. I just know what
enslaved humans think like. Theyíre gonna look at you and be freaked; theyíre
gonna look at him and hate so bad that theyíll want to kill. I might have
only been a little kid, but I remember," Harper trailed off.

"But I also know that you know things the rest of us
donít, so if you say you gotta go, then you gotta go. Just... be safe,
okay? I donít want you dyiní on me, not for anything."

Glancing over at Rafe, the young man continued. "Youíll
take care of her and keep her safe, right?"

Rafe, who had been gleefully planning how many Nietzes heíd
kill, sobered immediately. He hadnít considered the ramifications of...
"Donít worry, Harper. Iíll make sure sheís okay. I promise."

Nodding, Harperís glance skittered over Rhade to rest
somewhere to the far right of his shoulder. "You need to be careful
too. Humans are gonna want to rip you limb from limb just because youíre a
Nietzschean. Doesnít matter what pride youíre from, youíre still a
bonehead to them, and theyíre gonna want you dead. Iíd rather not have
to explain to Tyr why he needs to find a new first officer, thanks all the
same."

"Harper," Dylan grinned, "your heartís in
the right place, but you really need to work on your people skills, you know
that?"

Sighing, Rhade stepped away from the door, coming to a halt
in front of Harper. "I do not hate you, Harper. I would think you would
know that by now. Then again, I would have thought you would know better
than to joke about marriage and procreation by now. I sometimes think you
are selectively blind when it comes to my people." He shook his head,
amazed that Harper still hadnít grasped how fundamental that was to a
Nietzscheanís very identity.

Harper ducked his head, not bothering to answer but thinking
to himself that he was actually doing damned good when it came to
Nietzscheans after a lifetime of hatred. Here he was with a Nietzschean
lover that he adored, his loverís kids whom he actually liked and was
working in engineering with a whole bunch more of them, living on a ship
full of them. But everyone saw things differently, he guessed.

"Yeah, well, I just donít want to see Bek and Dylan
get hurt is all, so sorry if I stepped on toes or something, but I need to
look out for them first. They were the only family I had for more years than
I can count, so I need to look out for them first."

Beka sighed. "Harper, thatís sweet, and I appreciate
it, but... how would you feel if we tried to interfere between you and Tyr?
Hell, you reamed us out for exactly that. I donít know how this is going
to work, but we have to figure it out... and it will have nothing to
do with whomever Rhade marries. Any more than Tyrís marriage changed
things between you two. Theyíre Nietzscheans. They procreate with
Nietzschean females. Thatís who they are."

Surprised by Bekaís defense, Rhade turned to look at her,
then smiled slowly. "Itís a shame you arenít Nietzschean."

She laughed, knowing it for a compliment.

"Whatever, I was just looking out for you. Meeting
adjourned and I gotta go," Harper muttered, getting to his feet and
hotfooting it out of there. He just couldnít win some days, and he was
getting pretty darned tired of trying. Everyone on this ship was frigginí
nuts; that was all there was to it.

"Harper, wait!" Dylan called after the younger
man, but he was gone in a shot, leaving his own quarters to the others.
"And probably heading for a hidey hole no doubt," the Maruís
first officer muttered to himself. Harperís heart was in the right spot,
and he had meant well, but he probably shouldnít have interfered. Yet
Dylan couldnít fault him for wanting to protect his friends. Hell, he
still fought the urge to rip Anasazi a new one when he saw the occasional
kicked puppy look in Harperís eyes or spotted a new bruise. However, he
figured that they had to work it out for themselves.

But Harper, being Harper, always jumped in where angels
feared to tread if he thought his family should know something and now...
Sighing heavily, Dylan looked back at Beka, Rhade and the others. "Iím
going to go talk to him. Alone."

Beka defending Nietzscheans and chewing him out, no matter
how nice she was about it, Dylan sleeping with a guy, Beka and Dylan
sleeping with a Nietzschean, Trance and Rafe looking cozy... maybe he was
the one who was goiní nutsóno surprise there.

Heading for his machine shop, Harper breathed a sigh of
relief when he locked the door behind him. "I really, really, really
hate days like this!"

Feeling uncomfortable in the captainís quarters once
Harper had left, the others headed back to their rooms almost immediately
afterward. Beka and Rhade went to the room she shared with Dylan to wait for
him to return, and Trance followed Rafe back to his.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Rafe? You can help
without going to Earth, you know. Iím worried about how this will affect
you." Trance paced around the room, her tail almost lashing as she
darted concerned glances at him.

"Damn straight I do," the older Valentine growled,
barely containing his agitation and his need to get to Earth. "And what
do you mean how it will affect me? How could giving some of those bastards
back what they did to me... I mean to humanity, affect me in any way but
positively?"

"I just donít want you to lose yourself in your
anger. I happen to like you, Rafe Valentine." Coming to a halt in front
of him, Trance cupped his face with one palm and leaned in to kiss him. Not
wanting to spook him, her closed lips brushed over his lightly, then she
leaned back very slightly, allowing a breath of air between them as she
waited for his reaction.

Rafe licked his lips, not sure how to react. Before... well,
before heíd have charmed her and taken her up on her offer, but now...
God, he hated that he was scared, but the truth was that heíd been made to
think of sex as a punishment, and the idea of hurting this wondrous woman
who was trying so hard to help him...

Taking a step back, he smiled sadly. "Thank you for
caring about me, but I canít do... Well, I may never be able to again. I
never got to the pleasure part that Harper had; I just remember the
pain," he stated baldly.

"I wasnít offering out of pity," Trance said,
advancing a step that put her right back in his personal space. "Nor am
I trying to pressure you into something you arenít ready for. But
remember, Iím not a Nietzschean, and I would never hurt you. And I do like
you, Rafe. So when youíre ready..." She shrugged and brushed another
kiss over his lips.

Rafe didnít know what to do. She kept getting close, and
he wasnít sure if he wanted her to, but she just kept doing it, and then
there was the way she touched him and the way she looked at him, as if
Trance knew all his secrets and was promising to keep them but... "If
Iím ever ready, donít you mean," he replied backing up yet again
and feeling the wall brush his shoulder blades.

"If Iíd meant that, I would have said it." She
followed him again, kissing him once more, this time allowing her lips to
part and her tongue to trace his, seeking entrance, although no other parts
of their bodies touched.

Groaning almost silently, Rafe began to wonder if a
steamroller would have been subtler than the purple menace that was Trance
Gemini. Turning his head to the side, Rafe gently extricated himself from
the young womanís arms. "Iím sorry but I canít, and unless that
crystal ball of yours tells you differently, Iím not sure Iíll ever be
able to."

Trance sighed softly. "You will when you believe you
can... and when you want to." She shrugged slightly. "Weíre
still friends, Rafe, even if you arenít interested in me that way. When
you find the right person, youíll be fine. Youíll see." Sheíd
hoped it might be her, and while she could exert herself and make
him want her, she wouldnít do that to him. Not to mention that she would
prefer not to have the Nietzscheans realize what she was capable of.

"Trance," Rafe hesitantly touched the young womanís
cheek. "If it could be anyone, it would be you, believe me," he
admitted gruffly. "I like you, really like you, and I think youíre
beautiful, caring and funny, pretty wonderful all around. Itís just
that... certain things donít work anymore, okay? For anyone."

"Not okay," she retorted, glaring at him. "Rafe
Valentine, are you going to let them beat you? Yes, what happened to you was
horrible, but you survived. Donít let them take anything else away
from you. Sure, there are going to be flashbacks, but youíre stronger than
that. You can get past it... when you decide you want to rather than saying
that you canít."

"Anyone ever tell you youíre a pushy little
thing?" Rafe asked conversationally, looking down at the mighty mauve
termagant who was glaring up at him.

"Often. Usually when Iím telling them truths they donít
want to hear."

"Apparently it hasnít stopped you yet because you
just keep coming," the human replied, rolling his eyes. "And I
thought Beka was a pain in the ass, ha! You take the cake, lady."

"I donít like to see my friends hurting. Especially
when thereís no reason for it."

"You just like to butt that pert little nose in even
when people donít want you to!" Rafe retorted, flicking Trance in the
nose. "They used to have a name for you back on Earth. A
busybody!"

"No wonder youíre not interested if thatís what you
think." She took a step back and moved away, wandering around his room
restlessly. "Well, I should go. You should get as much rest as you can
before we leave for Earth. It wonít be pleasant."

"Trance," Rafe groaned. "You are the most
stubborn, opinionated, frustrating person I know. Even when Iím not the
one whoís in the wrong, you still make me feel like I should be the one
apologizing and wanting to beat my head into the wall," he sighed.
"I told you I liked you! I told you if it were any other time in my
life, Iíd be interested, but you only hear what you want to. Argh!"

Trance cocked her head slightly and smiled. "But youíre
not moping anymore, are you?" she pointed out smugly.

"I wasnít moping to begin with!" Rafe was ready
to tear his hair out. Of all the stubborn, opinionated, pain-in-the-ass
women! "Youíre even worse than Beka, you know that?"

"I really donít want you to think of me as a sister,
Rafe," Trance said, again backing him against the wall, this time with
her tail curling loosely around his lower leg.

"You never give up, do you?"

"No," she replied cheerfully. "And itís
only fair to tell you that I always get what I want." She
brushed another kiss over his lips, gave him a sunny smile, and headed for
the door.

Staring at the closed door, Rafe bit back the scream of
frustration that threatened to erupt. "What a complete pain in my
ass!" He snarled. "I wish I could figure out why I seem to be such
a glutton for punishment?"

Dylan sighed and fought against the urge to bang his head
against the nearest bulkhead. Heíd combed what areas of the ship he had
access to and no Harper. And the AI wasnít telling either. He might look
like the Dylan Hunt of old, but the Andromeda only answered to Tyr Anasazi
(and Seamus Harper, not that anyone would ever admit that out loud), so all
in all, his hunt for his friend had been fruitless.

Entering his quarters, he grabbed the bottle of rotgut
whiskey he kept for Ďmedicinalí purposes and poured himself a tumbler
full. Who knew where Rhade and Beka were and what they were doing. Hell,
Rhade was probably pissed with him, and he wasnít altogether sure just how
he felt right now. Dammit, Harper was only trying to look out for them.
Badly maybe, but it was still family looking after family.

Wouldnít Rhade want to cut the balls off of anyone who
hurt his family? Harper needed to learn tact, no doubt about that, and he
tended to put his foot in his mouth more often than not, but Dylan really
couldnít fault him for the sentiment.

Sometimes the first officer of the Eureka Maru wondered
where his neat, ordered and perfectly heterosexually sane life had taken
such a radical left turn. Before their head on collision with the Andromeda
Ascendant his life had made sense, had had purpose. Heíd been a freedom
fighter, a first officer, Bekaís lover, Harperís friend and a member of
the tiny and incredibly secret order of the High Guard.

Now... what was he? Swallowing the whiskey in one fiery
gulp, Dylan poured himself another with the intent of quietly getting
shit-faced drunk.

Before he could take another drink, the door to the inner
room opened and Rhade and Beka stepped out, the Nietzschean in skintight
leather pants and nothing else, and Beka in an incredibly short blue silk
robe that matched her eyes.

"íBout time you got back here," Beka said,
neatly taking his drink and swallowing it herself. "We--all of
usóneed to talk." Rhade simply watched, leaving it up to Dylan how
they would proceed. It was not his preference, but the human woman had
convinced him that anything else would only serve to put the other man on
the defensive and defeat his purpose.

"Have I ever told you that I really hate it when
you say that?" Dylan groused, stealing back his glass and pouring
himself another drink. "Itís one of those patented Beka Valentine ĎIím
gonna kick your ass whether you like it or notí sort of tones of voice,
and it never bodes well.

"Oh, and Harper is hiding, and the ship isnít gonna
tell me where, so I didnít get to talk to him yet. Iíll talk to him
laterómaybe after he gets laid again; that always seems to mellow him out
a bit."

Seeing that Dylan was in full avoidance mode, Rhade sighed
and went back into the bedroom to retrieve his shirt before heading for the
door. "When--if--you decide to discuss this rationally, Iíll
be back." He had no idea how the captain survived dealing with a human
every day; he was already frustrated.

"What did I do?" Dylan asked, looking from Beka to
Rhade and back again. "You mean this wasnít gonna be one of those Ďletís
try and wrap Dylan around my little finger so I can get away with murderí
sort of talks?"

Beka smacked him... hard.

And Rhade hesitated, then turned back, realizing that maybe
Dylan hadnít been trying to avoid him. "No," he said, "it
was going to be one of the Ďletís figure out what the three of us are
doing and how this is going to workí kind of talks."

Dylan rubbed his sore arm and blushed. "Well, I thought
it was kinda obvious what we were doing; I mean, well, to put it crudely,
you had your cock buried in my ass. A great number of times. And Beka was...
under me when you were on top of me. Iíd say thatís a pretty accurate
description of whatís been going on."

Sighing, Agravaine sank down into a chair, staring moodily
at Dylan. "As with marriage, my people take lovers very seriously. Tyr
and Harper, though perhaps overly emotional, are typical of that. If we are
to continue, I must know that we are working toward something...
permanent."

Beka sat silently, leaving this up to the Nietzschean. Her
relationship with Dylan did not depend on his with Rhade, but she found that
she enjoyed Rhade for himself and hoped the three of them could work
something stable out.

"I... God." Dylan ran his fingers through his hair
and noticed absently that they were trembling. "Itís not that I donít
take it seriously, Rhade; itís just that... until you Beka was my
penultimate mate, you know? And then we get captured by the Andromeda, and I
feel like Iíve entered a parallel universe, and everything I ever thought
about myself has gone right out the window, and I, I donít know who I am
anymore."

"Why should adding something new change everything that
you already knew and were? Life is change; you could not expect to remain
static forever. You are still with Beka, and she and I can deal well
together as well. Whatever you and I work out does not affect that."

"Thatís just such a fucking Nietzschean thing
to say," Dylan sighed. "I used to believe I was monogamous. And
straight. Now I find Iím neither. I used to know my place in the scheme of
things and... and I used to hate Nietzscheans with every fiber of my being.
Since the Andromeda, since you, I canít do that anymore, and I feel
like a traitor to the cause I was born to be a part of, and yet part of meóa
great part of meódoesnít really care anymore. And that scares the shit
out of me," Dylan admitted quietly.

"Then tell me to leave. And I will. I can easily
transfer to another Kodiak ship, and you would never have to see me
again."

"I canít do that."

"So what do we do now?" Rhade wasnít willing to
back down, not after the confrontation with Harper.

"How the hell do I know?" Dylan snarled, suddenly
standing and pacing the room. "I didnít even realize I was fucking bi
until we nearly had our tongues down each otherís throats on the
basketball court, and even then I was praying it was an aberration. But I
kind of had to admit that I was when your fucking cock was reaming out my
ass and I was begging for more!"

Even now that first time both haunted and heated him. His
cock ached and throbbed in the tight confines of his pants, and he could
feel his heart rate speed up and his pupils dilate. Fuck, he was getting
aroused just from a fucking memory.

Snarling in frustration, Rhade gave up on words and rose to
his feet, grabbing hold of Dylanís arm on his next pass. He wrenched the
human against him, mouth unerringly finding his, and he kissed him savagely.

Pushing hard on the Nietzscheanís chest, Dylan only
managed to send them both sprawling to the floor, him on top. Luckily for
him Rhade had thrown his arms wide so he hadnít been impaled on
Nietzschean arm spikes. "Damn, didnít expect that to happen,"
the human said conversationally, looking over his shoulder at Beka, who was
stifling her laughter behind a fist stuffed in her mouth.

"I should have stuck to fucking. At least that stopped
you arguing!" Rhade glared at him, refusing to look at the laughing
woman behind them.

"Yeah, but then I wouldnít respect you in the
morning," Dylan shot back, almost enjoying the banter and trying to
ignore the love of his life and resident nutcase.

"I would!" Beka put in, snickering.

"Perhaps we should stop talking and stick to acting for
now. We seem to do better at that."

"I donít think he likes foreplay, Bek," Dylan
smirked as he winked over his shoulder. "I mean Valentine and I snap at
each other for hours before we canít hold out anymore and decide to fuck
like minks. But then we donít have your total lack of humor either,"
the first officer continued with a bright smile.

Agravaine groaned. "Two of them." Deciding that
his previous idea had merit, he tangled his fingers in Dylanís hair and
pulled the other manís head down to ravage his mouth.

After giving in for a few brief moments, Dylan resisted and
pulled back. "Thereís a perfectly acceptable bed in the next room. I
for one have no desire to end up with rug burn just because youíve decided
to get your kink on."

"Iím not the one who put us here," Rhade pointed
out, rising to his feet. "But I agree that a bed would be more
comfortable." He made sure to stand close enough that Dylan rubbed
along his body as he stood up in turn, and he remained pressed to the human
maleís back as they moved toward the bedroom, Beka following them eagerly.

"Actually, you are, you tackled me remember?"
Dylan grinned as he turned and fell back onto the bed so that he could look
up at his two lovers. "Whoíd have thought that Nietzscheans could be
so contrary, eh, Bek?"

Stretching one arm above his head and wrapping the other
hand around his cock to stroke it idly, Dylan waited to see who would pounce
first.

Although Dylan had actually been the one to knock them to
the floor when Rhade grabbed and kissed him, the Nietzschean didnít see
any benefit in arguing about it. Instead he shed his pants and shirt and
moved onto the bed, crawling up the length of Dylanís body, his cock
painting a glistening trail of moisture. Once even with Dylanís mouth, he
dropped on top of the human, moving in for another kiss.

Watching them, Beka bit back a moan and pulled her robe off,
sitting naked amidst the pillows as she let Rhade have the first moment.

Moaning around the tongue that was attempting to reach his
tonsils, Dylanís hands came up to scratch their way down Agravaineís
spine to his ass. Big, butch Nietz that he was, Dylan had to wonder if
anyone had ever topped Rhade or if Rhade had been the one doing all the
topping. One way to find out...

Letting a finger slide between the Nietzscheanís cheeks,
Dylan pressed it gently inside the man on top of him and waited for a
reaction.

Rhade stiffened slightly in surprise, dark eyes shutting
momentarily as a shudder of lust ran through him, then they opened and met
Dylanís as he relaxed again, his full weight pressing the human into the
mattress. "Be sure you can handle what you reach for," he purred,
nipping sharply at Dylanís throat.

"I think Iíve been handling you quite fine for the
past few weeks, despite some peopleís opinions," Dylan replied as he
added a second finger to the first and continued to stretch his lover out.
"Afraid, Agravaine?" he taunted.

"Wouldnít know, havenít fit myself in you
yet," Dylan leered. "Of course, we can correct that any time youíre
ready.

"Bek, feel like getting me ready for him?"

"Talk about your stupid questions," the blonde
muttered, shifting closer as she coated her hand with slick lubricant and
wrapped it around Dylanís cock. Concentrating on him, she moaned when she
felt Agravaineís fingers exploring, making her bite her lip as she tried
to remain still.

"Mmm, feels good, lady," Dylan moaned as he thrust
his hips up into her hand. Grinning at her gasp, he figured out she was
getting teased by the Nietzschean. "Getting a little distracted there,
Bek, does that mean Iím ready?"

"Yeah, and so am I!" she moaned.

"Perhaps we ought to adjust the positioning then,"
Agravaine suggested, smirking. "I have no objection to being in the
middle."

"Gee, how big of you," Beka sniped, then moaned.
"Fuck, Dylan, do it. I need someone to fuck me."

"Then tell the one on top of me to get the hell off so
we can change positions," the first officer of the Maru pointed out a
little exasperatedly. "Or have you both forgotten that heís on top of
me?"

"Just making sure you were in agreement," Rhade
chuckled, rolling off and positioning himself on his side with his back to
Dylan.

Beka didnít waste a moment in stretching out in front of
him, one leg hooking over both men as she arched into him. "God, fuck
me," she moaned, feeling her wetness dripping along her inner thighs.

"With pleasure," Rhade murmured, pressing into her
while Dylan positioned himself behind him.

As Rhade slid into Beka, Dylan did the same to the
Nietzschean sandwiched between them. Groaning at the bliss of being buried
inside the tight body of his alpha lover, he had to chuckle as he bit down
on Rhadeís shoulder. "Bet you never thought youíd be the filling in
a human sandwich, did you?"

Agravaine had to laugh as well. "Stranger things have
happened, but I canít imagine what," he managed to gasp, fingers
tightening on Beka. His back arched to take Dylan deeper, and he moaned
hungrily, unable to do anything. "Move, dammit!"

"Seems to me youíre in no position to demand
anything," Dylan laughed wickedly. "Iíd say we got him between a
rock and a soft place, donít you think, Bek? Maybe we should take
advantage of it."

"Sounds good to me," Beka purred, tightening her
inner muscles around her Nietzschean lover. "I enjoy taking advantage
of a good man."

"And I being taken advantage of," Rhade admitted,
thrusting as much as he could between them.

Pressing a little farther into the man trapped between them,
Dylan stilled all movement and then reached between Beka and Rhadeís
bodies to worm his way down to his ladyís clit. Massaging it gently, he
made sure his thumb brushed back and forth across Agravaineís cock,
teasing the Nietzschean incessantly. "Do you really? And here I thought
you just like to take advantage?" Hunt purred, nipping at the base of
Rhadeís neck.

"Versatility is the hallmark of a superior
intellect," Rhade gasped, fingers gripping Bekaís hip tightly enough
to bruise, not that she was complaining.

"Pretty and smart. Lucky us," Beka purred an
instant before her mouth met Agravaineís in a hungry kiss.

"You can say that again!" With that Dylan pulled
back and then slammed into the man beside him with all his strength, driving
Rhade into Beka at the same time. "And heís got a great ass
too!"

The other two could only moan, bodies matching Dylanís
rhythm as he took control. Rhade reached back with one hand, pulling Dylan
closer, and he released Bekaís mouth to twist his head back, trying to
kiss Hunt.

Nipping hard at the Nietzscheanís lips, Dylan continued to
plow into the hard body. "So fucking tight, God, to think I was
positive I was a hundred percent straight. If Iíd have known what I was
missing..."

Rhade growled at the words, making Beka giggle even so close
to coming.

"You sound just like Tyr about Harper."

"I think not!" Dylan snorted. "Compare me to
the kid again, woman, and youíre not getting any for a week!" Hunt
scowled in disbelief. He didnít, however, stop slamming into Agravaine.

Rhade laughed as well, if somewhat breathlessly. "I
begin to sympathize with the captain," he panted, body tightening as
his climax neared. Bekaís spasms as she came were nearly enough to tip him
over the edge, and he moaned, back arching.

"Oh, shut up and take it like a man, Rhade," Dylan
retorted, nipping at the Nietzschean's earlobe. "But yeah, you should
sympathize with the guy; youíre just as owned as he is."

Not wanting to argue just then, Rhade simply snorted, then
cried out sharply as he came, convulsing between his two lovers.

Dylan bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood as he
continued to thrust into the convulsing channel that sheathed his cock. He
was so close he could taste it. Thrusting harder and harder, the human
roared as his loverís still pulsating body drove him over the edge, and he
filled Rhade with his seed.

They lay in a sweaty, sated heap, and Rhade had never felt
more content. He brushed back a strand of pale blond hair and drew Beka
close to kiss her, enjoying the sensations of all of them still being
linked. "This is going to be a very interesting journey," he
murmured.

"Itís gonna be a freakiní nightmare," Dylan
corrected. "Harper. Without his daily, hell, hourly fix from his
lover. All alone in deep space. With us. Death might be preferable."

Beka snickered. "You know heíll use the implant to
deal with his cravings. And weíll just hide."

Rhade sighed. "A very long trip indeed. Facing the
Dragans single-handedly might be less painful."

"The implant may stop the cravings, but it wonít use
up the energy," Dylan replied mournfully. "Can we lock him in the
engine room? We might have the Maru as good as new by the time we get
Earthside."

"Well, it does have a lot of lubricant stored down
there," Dylan offered.

"And what have you been doing in my engine room?"
Beka wanted to know, eyeing him narrowly while Rhade chuckled.

"Absolutely nothing, most gorgeous captain in the
universe," Dylan sweet talked, cowering behind Rhade. He was more than
willing to admit that while Nietzscheans were terrifying, hell had no fury
like Beka Valentine on the warpath about her ship. It would strike terror
into the hearts of even the Magog.

Tyr held Harper tightly for a long moment before forcing
himself to release his mate. "Be careful. You wouldnít want to
responsible for me destroying Earth because you were harmed, would
you?" he rasped.

"Nahh, you wouldnít do that," Harper replied,
trying very hard to put on a brave front even though the idea of being so
far away from Tyr actually terrified him. "Think of all the ammo youíd
have to waste, and that would leave you depleted, and then the Dragans would
attack, and it would just snowball from there."

"You think I would care if anything happened to
you?" Tyr growled. "But nothing will, so the point is moot."
His warning glare at Agravaine warned that nothing had better happen to
Harper. "Bring your cousin back safely... and donít take too
long," he murmured, drawing him into a hungry kiss.

"Aye aye, Captain! " Harper saluted, hoping that
the sheen in his eyes wasnít visible. All he needed was for Rhade to see
what a wuss he was being about saying goodbye to Tyr; that would just take
the cake.

Tyr smiled painfully, stepping back and watching as Harper
disappeared into the Maru with the others, wishing he could go with them.
Still, he knew that the humans considered Harper family and would protect
him, as would Rhade. Turning, he made himself return to the bridge and his
duties.

"It wonít be long, Harper," Trance said
comfortingly, hugging her friend. "And then you can introduce your
cousin to Tyr and watch the sparks fly," she teased.

"Sparks? Did I mention that Brendan is one of the heads
of the Dragan Resistance? The only good Nietzschean is a dead Nietzschean as
far as heís concerned, no offense, Rhade. Heís gonna go apeshit on my
hide when he realizes I not only live and work with the Alpha of Kodiak
Pride but I sleep with him too. Iím expecting to be pounded into dust,
quite honestly," Harper replied with a wry grin.

"We will have to teach him that not all Nietzscheans
are like the degenerate Dragans," Rhade said calmly. "Surely if we
can convince you, Beka and Dylan, we can convince one more."

Beka snickered. "Planning on sleeping with him
too?"

Rhade simply looked at her, not deigning to reply, while
Trance giggled.

"Oh yeah, I can see that... Not!" Harper snorted
in reply. "Brendan would rather kiss a Magog."

Dylanís eyebrow quirked. "Are you saying we have bad
taste in lovers, Seamus?"

"No, Iím saying Brendan would rather kiss a Magog. Heís
expressed the sentiment enough that I remember it well. He considers
Nietzschean women black widows and Nietzschean men... well, I wonít repeat
what he thinks of them in the presence of ladies. I do have some
standards, after all."

Beka snorted. "Suuuure you do. But having heard you
talk before the advent of Tyr, I can imagine."

"Regardless, I will be with you when you go. I do not
intend to tell Tyr that I allowed you to get yourself killed,"
Agravaine put in. "I would rather kiss a Magog."

"Is there any way to, well, to camouflage those things
on your arms? Itís kinda obvious youíre a Nietzschean with those bone
blades flashing all the time. You might up dead real fast down there, and
no, Iím not forgetting youíre you. I just happen to know what weíre
gonna be walking into. Theyíll swarm you and then beat the shit out of you
until you die."

Eyebrows rising, Rhade shook his head. "I suppose I
could wrap something around them, but that would be rather obvious, not to
mention depriving me of a weapon it sounds like Iíll need."

"And no offense, Harper, but I kinda prefer the big guy
alive. Weíll just have to be careful." Beka frowned, seeing Harperís
point, but there really wasnít any way to disguise Rhade as anything other
than a Nietzschean.

"Hey, itís your funeral," Harper replied, not
entirely sure if he would be safe walking around Beantown with a
Nietzschean bodyguard. For the umpteenth time the diminutive human wished
that his mate wasnít quite so rabidly protective of him. Or that he could
somehow convince Rhade to stay on the ship. But seeing as how neither was a
realistic possibility, heíd have to try and make the best of itóand make
sure they only went out after dark when there was less of a chance that
Rhade would be seen properly.

Rafe, who had been sitting as far away from Rhade as
possible and trying very hard not to freak out at the idea of his sister
willingly fucking a bonehead, snorted softly. Personally he agreed with
Harperís cousin. The only good Nietzschean was a dead Nietzschean.

They were far enough away from the Andromeda that he could
unbuckle and move around, and the still emotionally scarred man was the
first one to bolt out of the cockpit area, needing to get away from Rhade as
fast as he could.

Frowning, Trance stood up to follow him, but Beka stopped
her with a hand on her arm. "Let him go, Trance. He needs some time
alone. I know heís having trouble with this. What they did to him-"

"I know that, Beka! But he canít let them win.
He has to take his life back!" Shrugging free, Trance went after Rafe.

"What..." Beka stared after her, confused by her
reactions. She hadnít even known that Trance had a temper.

"She wants him. Isnít it obvious?" Rhade said.

Harper watched the scene unfold and found himself flooded
with memories of his own time among the Orca. "She might want him, but
I donít think he wants himself at the moment," the young man
said quietly. "Dragans might be brutal and oppressive, they might hurt
you physically and treat you like kludges, but Orcas... they mess with the
mind and soul. Orcas like to break a personís will, their spirit, so that
all thatís left is a mindless husk.

"Itís not easy coming back from something like that;
I mean, look how long it took me. Trance has a heart of gold, and she means
well, but if she pushes too hard, she might do more harm than good. Then
again, if Rafe doesnít start fighting back soon, heíll lose himself. I
wish I could help both of them, but each person has to find their own way
back. Rafe has the advantage of having people who love him and want to help
him. He also wasnít there as long as me; theyíd barely started to break
him. I mean, if I could come back, anyone can."

"Harper..." Dylan remembered his friend only too
well. "The Harper is a human dynamo, and heís one of a kind."

Beka smiled sadly. "Yeah, Rafe would do well to take
some lessons from you, Harper, but like you said, everybody has to handle it
his own way. I love my brother, but thereís nothing I can do to help him
right now."

Seeing Bekaís pain, Rhade reached out, drawing her into
his arms, and he suddenly realized that while he might have started this to
get Dylan, heíd come to care for her just as much. "No Valentine
would ever give up," he said quietly, trying to comfort her.

"Heís right," Dylan replied, walking over to the
other side of Beka and adding his support. "Valentine Smart and
Valentine Smarter, remember?"

Harper took this as his cue to get out of the area and let
the cuddle bunnies cuddle. Besides it was making him miss Tyr even more.
Getting up surreptitiously, he snuck out the cockpit and made his way down
to the engine room to give them their privacy.

They were two slip points from Earth when Trance appeared on
the bridge, her hand tightly wrapped around... Loki.

"Look what I found in the cargo hold."

Dylan looked up from where he was taking his turn in the
flight seat and groaned. "Has Rhade seen him yet? Or Harper for that
matter?"

"No, I was hoping theyíd be here," Trance said,
ignoring Lokiís futile struggles to get free, much to Rhadeís interest
as he entered behind her.

"Why are you here?" Rhade growled, arms crossed
over his chest as he stared at the sullen youth.

"To protect Harper," Loki growled, glaring
defiantly.

Beka and Harper walked in, made curious by Dylanís cryptic
request to get to the bridge to see the latest twist, just in time to hear
Lokiís boast. Groaning, Harper tried to make a break for it, only to be
grabbed by the scruff of the neck and hauled back into the room by Beka.

"Youíre the protectee and Tyrís mate; heís
your responsibility too," Beka murmured as she shoved him into a chair
with a glare to stay put before walking over to Loki.

"You know, stowaways tend to be vented out the airlock
when theyíre discovered; itís the law of deep space, and besides, Tyr
has other spawn to take over for him," the captain of the Maru informed
the young Nietzschean casually.

"You wouldnít!" Loki exclaimed, wide-eyed as he
stared at the blonde. He hadnít had occasion to interact much with the
other humans, and just then, he felt like he was facing his own prideís
matriarch.

"Yes, she would. And sheíd be perfectly within her
rights, as Tyr would be the first to admit," Rhade replied coolly.

"Letís see, you stow away on my ship, you eat my
food, you breathe my air and..." Beka leaned over and sniffed the youthís
hair, "you use my shampoo. In a less civilized time that would be
considered a hanging offense. Give me one good reason why I shouldnít.
And protecting Harper isnít one of them; heís got Rhade and the rest of
us for that."

"Because you need all the help you can get," Loki
replied, meeting her stare.

Rhade rolled his eyes, but Trance frowned, eyes going
unfocused as she seemed to look within. "Heíll make a
difference," she said abruptly, becoming the focus of a universal
stare.

"And the mystic purple one has spoken," Harper
sighed from where he sat. "Well, I guess that settles it. If anyone
needs me, I was right in the middle of tweaking the AP matrix, and you know
how delicate working with anti-protons can be. Next time make sure itís a real
emergency, will ya?" the younger man groused as he headed back to
Engineering, leaving with a baleful glare at the rest of the crew in
general.

"Oh and for the record, I am not the protectee.
I can frackiní well take care of myself; just ask Dylan!"

The first officer suddenly found the star field in front of
him a great deal more interesting than moments before. He knew that the crew
in general, including Tyr, had been aware of him teaching Harper a few
things. However, they hadnít been aware that, on top of the few things heíd
taught the younger human, heíd been teaching Harper High Guard Argosy
class secret ops maneuvers in the Maruís hold where there was no AI
monitoring them.

"Iíd rather not know anything that Iíd have to lie
to my captain about," Rhade observed, staring at the ceiling with
apparent fascination.

Beka snickered. "Gee, even Nietzscheans can
learn."

Shaking her head, Trance looked over at Rafe. "Come on,
I could use some help organizing the stuff we brought."

Following silently behind Trance, Rafe left Beka, Dylan and
the Nietzschean to deal with the baby Nietzschean, wanting to spend as
little time with that race as he had to for this trip.

Dylan began to whistle silently under his breath, wondering
all the while if heíd made a mistake teaching Harper what he had. If only
the kid had kept his mouth shut.

Beka watched her human lover with a quirked eyebrow and a
look that said as soon as they were alone together, she would be
asking him what heíd been teaching Harper.

"What are you going to do with me?" Loki asked
nervously, watching the remaining trio.

"Well, I suppose spacing you would be a waste,"
Rhade said reflectively. "What do you think, Beka?"

"I think youíre a Nietzschean, so you can take charge
of the baby Nietzschean," she replied sweetly, ignoring Lokiís growl
at the description.

"Maybe Dylan should take him in hand... since heís
been able to teach Harper so much."

"Hell no!" Dylan retorted immediately.
"Taking care of Harper is a full time job on its own. I happen to agree
with Beka, and since sheís the captain and Iím the first officer, Iíd
say youíre outranked. Have fun, guys, and try not to break Bekaís ship,
okay?"

"Very funny," Rhade snorted, then sighed.
"Very well, since youíre here and thereís nothing we can do about
it short of returning to the Andromeda and losing several days, I will
continue your lessons. We will go to the mess and work out."

"Because Trance and Rafe are there, and Rafe is
uncomfortable around Nietzscheans right now. Be more aware of the people
around you, Loki." Not giving him a chance to reply, Rhade strode away,
expecting him to follow as, of course, he did.

"Well, I have to admit, Bek, I donít envy Rhade at
all right now. Heís gonna have to explain to Captain Anasazi why the
Kodiak Prideís heir managed to sneak on board the Maru and avoid
being detected while the Andromedaís first officer was on board. I have a
feeling that our Nietz is gonna get more of a reaming than I gave him the
other night," Dylan chuckled after Rhade and Loki had left the bridge.
Pulling Beka into his lap, the first officer smiled. "So how shall we
occupy ourselves while everyone else is busy?"

"Are you all right, Rafe?" Trance asked finally,
tired of the silence that had reigned since they left the bridge.

"Iíll survive," the elder Valentine replied with
a derisive snort. "I seem to be able to do that well, at
least." Holding up his hand to the purple woman next to him, Rafe
forestalled any comment. "And donít start lecturing me, Trance. I
know I need to try and get along. I know I need to be friendlier to our
hosts, and I know I canít let them win. Easier said than done. At least Iím
not cowering in shadows and avoiding the boneheads at all costs like I used
to. Thatís an improvement at least."

Trance sighed, for a moment tempted to take action herself,
but she liked being the harmless mascot to her friends. Sheíd never had
friends before. "Just... donít close yourself off to
possibilities."

"You and your endless possibilities and one perfect
future," Rafe replied with a small smile. "How is it possible to
stay so optimistic in a galaxy thatís so dark and dangerous? What is your
secret, Trance Gemini?"

"Believing that we can achieve that one perfect future
if we make the right choices." Trance shrugged, not about to tell him
that lately all the possibilities she saw were getting darker. "You
should try it sometime."

"If youíd said that to me a year ago, I would have
told you I did it every day. Times change, and people and places get colder
and older. Itís the nature of the beast." Rafe shrugged. Walking over
to the weapons locker, the human began to double-check that their entire
ordinance was secure and accounted for. Never hurt to be careful when going
to a Nietzschean-controlled world.

"But if you stop looking for better things, then all
thatís left is the cold. It seems a very... sterile way to live."
Trance watched him, wishing there were some way she could get through to
him.

"Maybe," Rafe conceded, not sure what to say to
the young woman. "Then again maybe to some being left in the cold seems
to be the safest place of all. You donít feel anything when youíre
frozen. When youíre frozen, not even memories can hurt you," he
continued softly, speaking more to himself than his companion. "I used
to love to burn. I used to feel so alive when I did, now... God, I hate
feeling like this."

"Give yourself some time, but let the rest of us help
you. You donít have to do this alone, Rafe. Your sister is here for you;
Harperís here for you; Iím here for you. Donít shut us
out."

"Iím trying not to, really. Itís just real hard for
me to ask for help, you know? Consider it a guy thing."

"Well, consider my refusal to be shut out a Trance
thing," she retorted, moving closer and kissing him lightly before he
could flinch away.

Backing off a step, Rafe looked down at the diminutive
woman. "Youíre even more stubborn than Beka, you know that?" he
managed to get out at last.

She simply smiled and turned back to the locker to continue
their checks.

Harper snuck onto the bridge after everyone else was sound
asleep. Well, after Rafe, Loki and Trance were. What Beka, Rhade and Dylan
were doing in the Captainís room he didnít want to know. Sitting
in the pilotís seat, the young man punched in the coordinates to call up
the communications system.

"Hey, big guy," he began. "Weíre far enough
away that thisíll take about a day to reach you since I donít dare
communicate directly. I thought Iíd be the one to tell you that Loki
stowed away. It wasnít Rhadeís fault; just donít tell him I said that,
okay? Weíre still not the best of buds, and I donít want him to think I
actually like him or anything, even though he is kinda all right. I mean heís
not you, but heís pretty okay as far as it goes.

"Anyhow, itís my fault Loki got on board without the
alarms going off. I was tinkering the night before, and I forgot to
reactivate the security system, and then we had to leave pretty fast, and
there was really no time to go over the Maru again, so if you need to burn
Rhade, donít burn him too badly, okay?"

"Iíll try and keep an eye on your kid. I promise not
to let him get too friendly. Iím really hoping that heíll grow out of
this crush soon; it was cute at first but now... I just donít want to come
between you and your son, you know?

"I miss you, Tyr. I canít sleep without you, not very
well anyway. My bed is empty, and Iím always so frackiní cold in deep
space. I just... miss you. Well, Iíd better try and get some shut eye. Donít
marry any more women while Iím gone, okay? Elsbet the Evil is more than
enough for at least a year, okay? Anyhow, Harper out."

Signing off, Harper encrypted, coded and sent the message
with a sigh. Nights really were colder without his Nietzschean.

Receiving the message a day later, Tyr alternated between
cursing his son creatively, snarling what heíd do to him when he got his
hands on him, and thanking the progenitor that he was all right. When he
calmed enough to form a coherent sentence, he sat down to reply.

"Harper... First, thank you for letting me know my son
is well. I had feared a spy had kidnapped or killed him. Instead, I
will do that when I next see him, and you may tell him that!" Forcing
himself to stop growling, Tyr took a deep breath.

"I miss you too, Pet. Miss having you stealing all the
covers, miss having you bounce off the walls after too much of that
revolting cola you insist on drinking. I just missing being able to talk to
you." He smiled painfully. "Hurry up and save your cousin so we
can both sleep again." He raised his hand to end the recording and
transmit, then whispered, "I love you," before doing so.

"Earth: if ever there was an asshole of the universe,
this is it," Harper said as he negotiated the Maru into a close orbit
around the moon, avoiding Dragan patrols. "Home sweet home!"

None of the others had ever been to Earth before, and they
all stared avidly. "Itís so beautiful from up here," Trance said
quietly. "Just like it used to be... in the old pictures in the
archives," she added hastily.

Harperís eyebrow quirked at that, and both Beka and Dylan
sent knowing glances to one another. Rafe simply ignored the statement, if
he even heard it at all in his distraction at his first sight of Earth.

"Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving, dollface,"
Harper replied after a moment. "When the Dragans arenít torturing,
killing, raping, maiming, enslaving, oppressing, brutalizing, and generally
fucking over the humans on Earth, the Magog are coming down and wallowing in
a veritable Garden of Eden ripe for the plucking and eating. Earth is
definitely not one of your vacation getaways. Danteís Inferno
brought to life, maybe, but thatís about it. It did used to be beautiful
though. Once upon a time before the Commonwealth, before Earth really knew
what was out there in the big, bad universe."

"Oh, not before the Commonwealth," Trance argued.
"Pollution wasnít very pretty. But during the heyday of the
Commonwealth, it was a beautiful place, almost as lovely as Tarn Vedra
itself... Iíve heard."

Eyeing Trance strangely, Harper took a few minutes to
answer. "What used to be Boston in the United States of America. Thatís
where we Harpers are from," he replied at length.

"So thatís where we look. After dark," Beka
said, eyeing Rhade and Loki with exasperation.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Dylan replied quietly.
"I suggest everyone try and get some shut eye in the meantime. Weíre
hidden from Dragan scans, but just to be safe, Iíll activate the cloak
that the crew of the Andromeda installed. Weíll need to do a weapons check
and make sure weíre all geared up properly before we leave the moonís
orbit."

"You know, it would make much more sense for you to
stay on board and monitor us from here," Beka said in a last ditch
effort to reason with Rhade.

The Nietzschean simply crossed his arms and stared at her
silently, and after glancing at him, Loki copied his posture.

Throwing her hands up in frustration, Beka stomped off,
muttering under her breath about stubborn asses.

"Sheís very... unpredictable," Loki observed.

Rhade smiled wryly. "Itís one of her charms. Now come
along; I wouldnít put it past her to find a way to leave without us."

"I heard that!" came the snarled reply from down
the corridor. "If you think flattery is gonna make me give you any
later on, youíve got another thing coming, Rhade!"

"Looks like someoneís in the doghouse to me,"
came Harperís glib remark as he came out of Engineering in time to catch
the exchange. "No offense, guys, but you got a lot to learn about human
women. I have a lot to learn about human women, and Iím a human
male. I donít think anyone has ever, in the history of humanityóany male
that isófully understood a human woman. It canít be done."

Beka reappeared, hand on the butt of her gun. "If you
comedians would care to join me at the airlock, perhaps we could get started
tonight?" she bit out.

"Yes, boss," Harper replied meekly, following
behind the Maruís captain. He knew better than to mess with Beka Iíll-fry-your-ass-if-you-say-another-word
Valentine when she was in this mood. Patting the side pocket of his leather
jacket to make sure his force lance was where he stuck it, Harper hastened
his step so as not to irritate the woman more.

Dylan leaned over to whisper in the young manís ear.
"And you thought your father was scary when he was in a bad mood, didnít
you?" he teased the teen.

Wide-eyed, the teen could only stare after the blonde human
woman and shudder.

"Now!" Bekaís snarl got them all moving,
and soon they were standing on Terran soil.

Trance actually growled as she looked around, seeing the
signs of Nietzschean predations, and she wished for just a moment alone with
the Drago-Katzov elders to show them what she thought of what theyíd done
to this beautiful planet.

"You know, it feels like I never left," Harper
muttered sarcastically as he looked around before handing Loki and Rhade
each a pair of what looked like earplugs.

"You might want to use them just in case anyone
recognizes you for a Nietz and tries to use a shriller on you. One of my
finer inventions, I might add. Shrillers work at a frequency that causes
excruciating pain to anyone with Nietzschean hearing, but humans canít
hear it. Those were what I was working on last night. They should block the
frequency of the shrillers without affecting your hearing much."

Rhade frowned and eyed the earpieces with disfavor, but he
put them in, so Loki did as well. "You are the most likely to know
where to find your relative, so lead the way, Harper," he suggested.

"Letís just hope that the family stayed close to the
area we grew up in," Harper muttered. "Thereís no guarantees
here, you know that, right?"

Beka, whoíd been keeping close watch around them, suddenly
whispered, "Time to move, people; the natives are restless, so weíd
best head for cover."

"If weíre hiding," Loki pronounced the word with
distaste, "how are we to find Harperís cousin?"

Rhade reached over and grabbed the young Nietzschean by the
ear, hauling him over. "Stop questioning and follow orders," he
barked, though remembering to keep his voice low."

"Both of you, move," Beka snapped,
motioning with her gun for them to follow Harper.

"Why donít you just send up a flare that says ĎNietzscheans
are here, come and get usí? Geez! And if you donít shut your trap, Loki,
I swear Iím gonna nano-weld your mouth shut, got it?" Harper snarled
under his breath. "Dylan and Beka can handle Rhade."

Dylan quirked an eyebrow at that and looked back over his
shoulder to his lovers, amused by the smirk on Bekaís face and the scowl
on Rhadeís. "Iím quite sure Beka and I could come up with something
to keep Agravaine quiet," he murmured mildly, following Harper into the
shadows.

Rhadeís eyebrow rose. "And would it be something for
public viewing?" he inquired dryly, again speaking so softly that his
voice would not carry beyond them, finally letting go of Lokiís ear.

"I just asked a question," Loki muttered sullenly.

"Donít," the others chorused, making him cross
his arms over his chest and fume as he followed along.

Rafeís lip curled in a smirk. Apparently some things never
changed no matter what species they were. Kids were still smart mouthed, and
they still got slapped down when necessary. Glancing down at Trance, he saw
her watching him, a smile dancing on her lips. "Donít think Iím
going soft on the boneheads; it was just amusing to watch is all."

Beka, whoíd been listening to the exchange, smiled. That
had actually sounded like the old Rafe Valentine. It was the first thing
that had in a long, long time.

"Brendan, weíve got movement in the old tunnels we
donít normally use. Four humans, two Nietzscheans and a purple thing with
a tail."

"Are they Dragans?"

"Not if the Dragan tracking party thatís hunting them
is any indication."

"Well then, I think we need to go take a look and see
what we can find." Hefting his pulse rifle over his shoulder and
tucking a couple of knives into the tops of his boots, Brendan Harper Lahey
called a few of his best guerilla fighters and headed off to Ďwelcomeí
his guests.

"It feels like weíre being watched," Trance
muttered, moving a little closer to Rafe, her tail curling up and around his
waist.

"We probably are," Beka replied from her position
slightly ahead of them with Dylan at her side. Theyíd decided that having
humans in the lead would be a good idea; it might save their lives. "If
I lived here, I would keep a close eye on any access points. The last thing
the humans want is the Dragans sneaking up on them."

"Yeah, and weíre not even in the main access tunnels.
Not that I really know where they are anymore, just that this one has
obviously not been used in forever. The human resistance isnít going to
take the chance that the Dragans can find them by making it easy to just
waltz on in," Harper replied softly. "I was actually hoping that
we would get the attention of human patrols and theyíd alert the command
and Brendan would..."

"Brendan would what?" came the disembodied voice
from the shadows in front of them just before the owner of the voice,
Brendan Lahey himself, stepped out of the shadows. "Howíre you doin,
cuz? Long time no see."

The others left it to Harper to greet his cousin, Rhade
watching the shadows with narrowed eyes, knowing that hostile gazes were
trained on him and on his alphaís heir. "Stay close," he
breathed to Loki, not wanting to have to tell Tyr Anasazi that he had
allowed his firstborn son to get himself killed.

Loki darted a frustrated look at his companion before
turning his attention back to Harper and his cousin. The slightly older
human didnít look like Harper, yet in some way he did. It was interesting.

"Brendan, thank God!" Harperís whole body sagged
in relief, and Dylan was immediately there to stop him from going down
without anyone being the wiser.

"Keep it together, Harper; nowís not the time to show
weakness. You know that," he whispered urgently, making the younger man
stand up straighter.

Brendan, whoíd been observing the whole scene, quirked an
eyebrow. "Care to explain that statement, boyo? And explain why youíre
with a couple of stinkiní boneheads while youíre at it and that
purple.... lady?"

"Theyíre not Dragans, Bren, and theyíre not stinkiní
boneheads. Theyíre... Agravaine is my bodyguard, and Loki is... well, itís
a long story and one for your ears only. Thing is, we came across
information that said that the Dragan hold on Earth is slipping and that
theyíre pissed enough that theyíre trying a couple last ditch efforts to
get rid of any resistance. Biggest effort being to get rid of you.
Apparently youíve made quite the name for yourself," Harper replied
passionately.

"Can we finish this somewhere less... exposed? Weíre
being tracked by a hunting party."

"What? Dammit, Harper, why didnít you say
anything?" Bekaís gun was powering up, and she was looking past the
humans to try and peer into the darkness beyond.

"Some things you never lose, no matter how long youíve
been gone, Bek, and surviving on the hell that is Earth is one of them. So,
Bren, what do you say?"

"Brendan, you canít bring a couple of boneheads into
the compound; thatíll compromise us!" someone muttered.
"Besides, the people wonít stand for it."

"Relax, Iím not going to, but Seamus is right, this
canít be discussed in public, and heís my family. I want to hear him
out. Weíll take Ďem to the last base of operations before this one. Weíre
still at least a couple of bases ahead of the sweeper parties. It should be
safe."

"I donít like it, Brendan. It could be a trap."

"Objection noted, letís move it."

Observing silently, Rhade nodded approval at the humanís
commands. Logical. He eyed Harper with more interest. Apparently there was
more to this family than met the eye. Interesting. He should have known that
Tyr Anasazi would never choose an inferior specimen.

Beka remained close to Harper, glancing back nervously now
that she knew they were being tracked. Suddenly she was glad of Agravaine
and Lokiís presence, knowing that they had strength to match that of their
pursuers if it should come to that.

"We need to leave now," Trance said
suddenly, frowning and moving closer to Rafe, "or it will be very, very
bad."

"If Trance says itís time to move, then itís time
to move, Brendan. If you donít believe anything else out of my mouth,
believe that sheís telling the truth about this. Trance has a way of
knowing things, if you catch my drift, kinda like Granna used to know,
remember?"

Brendan was taken a bit a back by that. His ma used to say
that Granna had the Ďsightí. In fact he and Seamus had seen Grannaís
abilities more than once when theyíd been caught out getting into mischief
when they were sure no one but no one should have known what they were
doing. None of their parents had known what he and Seamus had been up to,
but Gran, Gran always had.

Based on that alone, Brendan made a snap decision. "All
right, people, letís move. And make sure a couple of surprises are left
behind for my cousinís friends. Weíve improved some on your shriller
design, Shame; they explode and send shrapnel as well as cause auditory
distress now. Translation, we deafen Ďem first, then kill Ďem when theyíre
distracted."

Dylan barely managed to hide his disapproval. It seemed a
bit... underhanded to kill a person while they were down, but he could
almost understand it. Almost.

"You didnít grow up here, Dylan, so donít judge.
Brutal is a nice word for the way we grew up. Between Dragans and Magog,
survival really was of the fittest, and we needed to fight dirty to make
sure that humans held on to what was ours. This was where humanity was
started, and by God, we were gonna hold on with teeth and bloody bones if we
had to," Harper murmured, walking next to the High Guard officer.

"Iím trying, Harper, itís just..."

"Hard, I know. Just try and keep an open mind, and if
you canít do that, keep your mouth shut. Youíll stay alive longer."

"Everything all right back there, cuz?" Brendan
queried.

"Yeah, just fine, thanks, Bren," Harper replied,
giving Dylan a look.

Rafe, who had been silently following the conversation, had
to agree with Harper. Survival meant using whatever you could to your
advantage. Something he had to start remembering again.

Loki opened his mouth to ask a question, only to be silenced
by a glare from Agravaine. The older Nietzschean was well aware of the
sentiments of the humans around them toward their race, and heíd prefer
not to die because of Lokiís curiosity.

Trance moved closer to Rafe after having been separated from
him when the Terrans had joined them. "Are you all right?" she
murmured, glancing at him worriedly. There were so many possible outcomes to
his presence here on Earth, both good and bad, and she wasnít sure what to
do to influence their path toward the good ones.

"Fine, better than I have been for a while. These
people have the right idea if you ask me," he murmured. "Wipe Ďem
out before they wipe us out. And donít give me that look; you know damn
well the Nietzscheans on this planet have done more harm than good. They get
what they deserve."

Beka shot her brother a dirty look but said nothing,
preferring to stick close to both her lovers just to ensure they all
survived.

Leading them through winding tunnels and half bombed out
buildings, Brendan brought them to a semi-safe location far from where they
had been, but not far enough away that they didnít hear the explosions and
screams caused by the shrillers detonating.

Even with the earplugs in, both Loki and Rhade winced, hands
automatically covering their ears in an attempt to block out the sound.

Pausing, Trance seemed distant for a moment, then smiled and
nodded. "Weíll be fine here for a while."

"And the purple one has spoken. I guess the threatís
passed for now. So are we there yet, Bren?"

"Weíre here. All right, boyo, start explaining."

An hour later Brendan sat there, stunned at what heíd
heard. The details of Seamusí life, corroborated by the other humans, the
purple girl and even the Nietzscheans, painted a picture he didnít want to
think about but had to.

"Aní you stayed with him, despite the fact that you
were hardly better than a sex slave tíhim?"

"If thatís all I was, he wouldnít have come after
me when Freya sold me off, Bren. If I was just a kludge to use and discard,
he wouldnít have risked life, ship and the extermination of Kodiak Pride,
and he did. They may say differently, Tyr, Agravaine and the others, but I
know.

"If it hadnít been for me, Tyr wouldnít have
attacked Orca Pride. If it hadnít have been for me killing Guderian and
Tyr protecting me, the Orcas would never have gone after Kodiak. I mean, my
God, Bren, Kodiak is the protector of the remains of Drago Mussevni and one
of the strongest prides in the Nietzschean Empire. Stronger than even the
Dragans with all their slave laboróand the humans under Kodiak rule have
been given their freedom and have chosen to stay with them. Doesnít that
tell you something, like maybe not all boneheadsósorry, guysóare bad?

"Tyr let me go, let me and the humans that serve with
him come to Earth to get you, Brendan. You canít stay here anymore. Itís
not safe for you now that the Dragans have targeted you. He let us go, armed
us, improved our shipís defense systems and gave us the information we
needed to get in and get out. Does that sound like a bad guy to you?"

Brendan had to grudgingly agree to most of what his cousin
said, but it still rankled. "It sounds like a good deal, Iíll
give ye that, but looks, and sounds, can be deceiving. You always were far
too trusting, Seamus, despite the way you grew up."

"Aní if I go, my people will die. One life for a
hundred? Not a fair trade, cuz. Not a fair trade at all."

"If you stay here, youíll be killed and so will
others trying to protect you," Loki spoke up suddenly. "Whereas if
you leave with us, the Dragans will have no reason to attack the people
closest to you, and you will be able to plan... and perhaps convince my
father to assist in attacking the Dragans and freeing Earth. Enslaving a
planet only proves that they arenít worthy to be called Nietzscheans.
Besides," he added with the blunt honesty of the young, "heíd do
almost anything that would make Harper happy."

Beka and Trance both had to turn away abruptly to hide their
amusement, and Rhadeís expression was particularly wooden as he coughed
behind his hand, managing to keep a straight face.

"Umm, thanks, Loki, thatís a great piece of advice.
Now will you let me do the talking?" Harper asked resignedly, knowing
that the young Nietzschean was only trying to help, but the kid really
needed to learn when to keep his mouth shut.

"The... child... has some good points, even if his
manner is a little tactless," Brendan admitted. "Give me
twenty-four hours to think on it, okay?"

"Iím not a child!" Loki snapped before he was
silenced by the unanimous glares of his companions. Subsiding into a sulky
silence, the young Nietzschean scowled at the human whoíd insulted him.

"We canít afford much more than that," Beka said
bluntly. "The longer weíre here, the greater the likelihood that the
Dragans will find us, and none of us would exactly be invited home for
dinner."

"If we wait longer than that, nothing will matter
because weíll all be dead and there wonít be any more hope," Trance
said abruptly, not looking at anyone though her hand clutched at Rafeís
arm and her fingers were cold.

"Trance, do you know something?" Harper asked
quietly, watching his purple-skinned friend carefully. When she gave him a
look, the kind that said, ĎIím not telling you a thing, so quit asking,í
he decided to keep his mouth shut for now.

"So, do you have a place we can bunk for the night? I
mean if weíre here for the next day, weíre gonna need a place to rest,
and the least we can do is help with patrols and that, well, the humans
anyway. And sorry, Agravaine, but I am not being followed around by a
Nietzschean when Iím patrolling a human sector of Earth. That would make
me a bigger target than not."

Rhade frowned, but he had to agree with Harperís logic.
"So long as Dylan and Beka go with you," he conceded reluctantly.
Seeing the small humanís protest on his face, he added, "Them or me.
I promised the captain that you would be protected."

"Besides, if anything happened to you," Beka put
in, looking amused, "none of us could ever go back to the
Andromeda."

Harper grumbled under his breath but agreed to the
conditions. "I really donít need bodyguards, though. I mean, I grew
up on this mudball. I know what Iím doing!"

"Take the bodyguards with you, Seamus," Brendan
grinned. "It never hurts to have muscle with you when youíre on the
streets of Beantown. You and your... friends can stay here. The Nietzscheans
are gonna have to stay in this area, and I need to post guards. Itís for
their protection as much as ours. Stray boneheads meet bad ends in this
section of town.

"It would probably be better if your purple lady doesnít
stray too far either. Earth has been ravaged by far too many alien races of
late, so a purple girl with a tail will probably not be considered a friend,
if you catch my drift. The humans can help with patrols, but they go with my
people. Jackson will set you up with patrol mates if thatís your choice.

"Shame, you can bunk with me if you like; itíd be
good to have family around again. And I could use your input on a new device
weíre working on. If your bodyguards will let you come, that is,"
Brendan finished.

Trance frowned slightly, darting a concerned glance at Rafe
that no one saw, their attention on Harper and Brendan, but she remained
silent, apparently deciding to keep whatever it was to herself. Instead she
offered, "I brought some medical supplies with me. Iíd like to check
everyone out and help where I can. If nothing else, you could all use
immunizations and vitamin shots."

Rhade wanted to offer help with the security, but he knew
that the humans would not accept it from a Nietzschean. Since he could do
nothing else, he would keep an eye on Trance, even though he suspected that
she could take care of herself much better than anyone believed.

"So where do you want us?" Beka asked, remaining
close to Harper though she spared a look for her brother.

"You can bunk down here. Iíd rather keep you all
together. Someone will escort... Trance, right?... to the infirmary in the
morning, and weíll have people drop by after youíve had a few hours rest
to pick up Rafe for patrol. Harper, you and your bodyguards will have third
patrol with me. Fair enough?" Brendan asked.

"Get out of here, kid. Have fun with your cousin, and
donít forget Beka and me when itís time for patrol, okay?" Dylan
chuckled, sending Harper on his way.

"You heard the man, Harper, go catch up on old
times," Beka agreed with a laugh.

Harper came tearing into the room to see the remnants of the
team that Rafe had gone out with covered in blood and sporting plasma burns.
"Rafe! Brendan, whereís Rafe?" he bellowed over the tumult of
moans and screams of pain.

Harperís jacket was grabbed as he passed. "It was
dark. They thought he was Brendan, so they took him. The Dragans took
him."

Following on Harperís heels, Beka stopped dead in her
tracks, causing Dylan to plow into her, and only Rhadeís reflexes
prevented the same from happening to him and Trance. "Dear God, Harper,
Rafe wonít survive being captured by Nietzscheans again. His sanity
certainly wonít," she moaned, nearly frantic.

"Weíll find him," Trance said, only to stop, her
eyes widening as she stared over Bekaís shoulder at something.

"You know what we have to do," another, familiar
voice said, making everyone spin around to stare in shock at... Trance?

"Eek!" Harper let out what was shockingly similar
to a girly scream as the second Trance appeared in the room. "What,
where, how??"

It was recognizably the same face, but gold with bronzy
highlights instead of purple, and the short pale blonde hair had been
replaced with a long, copper-bronze mane partially braided back. Most
startling of all, however, was the lack of a tail and the very warlike
leather outfit and weapons.

"Is it that bad?" purple Trance asked, approaching
her double.

"Very bad," gold Trance replied. "Rafe died,
and Harper, Beka and Dylan were killed trying to rescue him, and that caused
a lot of events that... Well, it wasnít good. But I know where we made
mistakes, and I can fix them."

Purple Trance nodded, and she looked back at her friends.
"I have to go now, but not really. Iíll still be with you," she
nodded at the other version of herself, "just a bit different."

"Trance," Beka started, reaching for her friend,
one hand catching hold of her wrist.

"It has to be, Beka. If it wasnít necessary, I would
never have come back to tell myself." She smiled. "Just remember
that itís still me."

The new version of the enigmatic alien stared at the stunned
faces surrounding her. "We need to go find Rafe now. It would be
easier if you came with me?" she suggested, trying to get them moving.

"Are you really...?"

"Yes, Beka, Iím Trance. The same person whoís been
your friend for years, just older and wiser now. I made some very bad
mistakes the first time Ďround, and this time Iím going to fix them. Iím
not going to let Rafe be destroyed... or anyone else."

"Cuz, I hate to say this, but youíve got some really whacked
friends, there," Brendan muttered under his breath. "However, if
youíre mounting a raid on the Dragans, weíre up for a party. So is
bronzed warrior babe the one in charge?"

"Uhhh, I guess so," Harper replied, backing up
behind Rhade as he stared at the new incarnation of Trance, not at all sure
if he liked it at all.

"How did a spacer like you get on Earth?" A hand
came out of the dark and backhanded him hard. "Answer me, kludge, how
did you get to Earth?"

"Fuck you, bonehead," Rafe snarled and then howled
as a vibro blade was driven into the fleshy part of his thigh and left
there.

"Next time itíll go someplace more vital. So I would
suggest you reconsider your answer by the time we come back."

Growing impatient, Trance stood up suddenly, startling the
many people around the scarred table who were arguing details of the plan to
save Rafe. "If you keep worrying about the details, heíll be dead
before we ever move," she snapped.

That brought Beka to her feet as well, and she moved to
Tranceís side, though not without another sidelong glance at her changed
friend. "I want my brother back, and if youíre not going to help us,
weíll do it ourselves." A tiny bit of the tension relaxed in her when
Rhade stood and joined them as well. Whether he agreed or not, he was
clearly going to help them.

However, it would take some time to get organized, and while
they did that, there was another, small matter that could be taken care of:
the matter of Brendan coming with them when they left Earth.

Brendan, surprisingly, was the one to broach the subject
first. To his cousin, of course. "I donít trust Nietzscheans, Seamus.
You of all people should understand that. But if youíre sure this
Kodiak of yours can and will help me..." Brendan paused. "Iíll
have some demands of my own. Iíll need to be able to communicate with my
people and have them communicate with me. And if I need to come back, Iíll
be allowed to. Sound fair?"

Harper nodded. It did sound fair to him, but he wasnít the
one in charge. Oh, he could sway Tyr, of that he had no doubt but... Calling
Rhade over from where he was discussing options with Trance and some of
Brendanís people, Harper told him what Brendan had suggested. "I can
say yes because Iím Tyrís lover, but it would be more official coming
from the second in command. Agravaine? Would Tyr really go for it?"
Harper asked quietly, watching the Nietzschean intently.

Rhade shrugged. "You yourself told us that he has
decided it is time to mount an offensive against the Dragans. I believe he
had already decided to assist the human resistance if there was any chance
of success, and I think there is." He concentrated on Harperís
cousin. "For your own safety, however, while on board the Andromeda,
you should have a... liaison. Harper has made his own place, as have the
crew of Maru, but... not everyone is as pleased by the presence of humans.

He glanced over at Loki and smiled faintly. "And since
Loki has no other duties as of yet, I think heíll be perfect for the
job."

Loki gaped at Rhade, then looked at the human who kept
referring to him as a child. "Sir, Ió"

"Are you refusing an order?" Rhadeís eyebrows
rose, and Beka had to turn away to hide her amusement.

"And heís your loverís eldest son?" Brendanís
eyebrow quirked up in disbelief. "I thought boneheaóI mean
Nietzscheans matured at a faster rate than us," he whispered to Harper.
"So why is he acting like a wet behind the ears sprout?"

"íCause he is wet behind the ears,"
Harper whispered back, knowing full well that Rhade and Loki could hear
every word. "He stowed away on Bekís ship because he figured I needed
protection. Loki has a warped Oedipal complex, if you get my drift."

"You mean he... ewwww," Brendan replied
succinctly.

"Um, hello, people? Iíve still got a brother held by
the Dragans. Weíre gonna go get him, remember?" Beka growled,
exasperated and growing impatient. Her trigger finger itched, and she wanted
to get to Rafe before he was traumatized further by any more Nietzscheans.
While she had come to see the Kodiaks as the exceptions to the rule, the
fact still remained that most Nietzes were anything but pleasant.

"I am not wet behind the ears, and youíre not my
father," Loki snapped. "And Iím not a kid! Iím fourteen!"
Which for a Nietzschean meant that he was old enough to be assigned adult
duties and be treated as an adult.

Rhade ignored Lokiís comments, knowing it would be futile
to engage in a debate with a hormone-driven teenager. "Bekaís right.
We need to find Valentine quickly. Are we ready to go?" he asked
Brendan.

"Youíre the ones whoíve been yammering on about
things that could have been settled later," Brendan replied with a
sardonic drawl and a quirk of his eyebrow at the kidís temper tantrum. If
this was the way Loki was gonna be on board this ship, maybe Brendan would
be better off facing the Dragans here on Earth, but heíd given his word to
his cousin, so heíd keep it.

"Sully, distribute the weapons to our friends,
including the shrillers. Make sure theyíve got enough ammo. We need them
to cover our backs as much as they need us to help. We hit the boneys hard
and fast, and we donít leave survivors. We make for the detention area, no
stopping to sightsee. If we get the chance, we free other POWs, but we donít
go out of our way. The longer weíre in, the more vulnerable we become.
While we infiltrate, the second team takes out the ammo dump as a diversion.
You know the drill, people. Letís move."

Harper quickly locked and loaded, patting his side to make
sure his hidden force lance was readily available. Loading up on shrillers
and extra clips, he quickly forgot about the life heíd lived after Earth.
He was an Earther, and by God heíd do what it took to keep his people
alive and get them out of there in one piece.

Dylan efficiently went over his own weapons and calmly
waited next to Beka, confident that theyíd succeed in getting Rafe out
alive and in one piece.

After a last uneasy glance at Trance, still uncertain about
this new incarnation of the already decidedly odd female, Rhade took his
place beside Harper. Much as he wanted to be with his own lovers, Harper
needed his protection more... and Tyr would flay him alive if anything
happened to the engineer.

Aware of Rhadeís discomfort, Trance ignored it in favor of
concentrating on what she could sense of Rafe, keeping track of the changing
possibilities. If anything happened to him...

Loki moved to Brendanís side, not letting his expression
deter him, relaxing when he saw Rhadeís approval. Apparently his new
duties had already started, as heíd suspected.

Beka and Harper nodded silently and began to check their
weapons with almost frightening efficiency. Both had been involved in a
rescue mission of this sort far too often, and both had been up against the
Dragans enough times to know what they were in for.

Dylan grinned ferally. "Letís bring it."

"Try not to get yourself killed," Rhade said
harshly, one hand curving around Dylanís neck to pull him into a
possessive kiss. "Keep him out of trouble," he added to Beka when
heíd released Dylan, then sighed as he remembered that it was Bekaís
brother they were trying to save. "And yourself." He brushed a
thumb over her lips, a touch as intimate between them as a kiss.

"You too," Beka replied, wondering when sheíd
gone from accepting Rhade to loving him. When this day was over, she wanted
all her men, brother, lovers and friend, back where she could keep an eye on
them.

"Itís time to go," Trance said suddenly, a hand
resting familiarly on the gun at her hip.

Rafe spat out another mouthful of blood. The Dragans seemed
to be having a great deal of fun roughing him up without... well, raping
him. Apparently the Orca were one of the few prides that went in for sexual
domination of humans. Not that Rafael Valentine would have allowed that to
happen again. No matter what it took, this time he wasnít going to be
anyoneís bitch!

"Stupid kludge, heís not going to tell us anything.
If we were on the station, Iíd say space him, but put him in the cage with
the other dissidents. In the morning heíll be executed along with the rest
of the rebel garbage in the holding tanks," the one in charge growled
as he wiped the blood off his fist before turning to walk out the cell. He
had better things to do than to beat a prisoner... like find that bastard
Lahey and put an end to the human rebellion once and for all.

"Hurry," Trance hissed, growing more agitated as
she sensed Rafeís time growing short. She had a duty, one sheíd followed
for longer than her companions could begin to imagine, but if anything
happened to Rafe...

"If we all get ourselves killed through lack of
caution, Valentine will be equally dead," Rhade pointed out coolly from
where he crouched at an intersection of corridors, peering carefully around
the corner to make sure no Dragans were nearby.

"And if Rafe dies because of you dragging your feet,
youíll wish you only had the Dragans to face," Trance snarled back,
eyes narrowed.

Watching her, Lokiís eyes widened, and he moved closer to
Brendan, insinuating himself between the golden alien and the human who was
his responsibility.

"Leave off, will ya, kid?" Brendan growled,
pushing his way past Loki to tower over Trance. "And as for you, Miss
Golden Hair, letís get something straight. I donít plan on anyone dying
tonight, but this is my planet, my city, and no one knows the Dragans better
than my people. We play things by my rules, and everyone gets out
alive. You go charging off half cocked, and youíll more than likely get
your Valentine and every last one of us killed too.

"Now I appreciate wanting to get someone you care about
out of harmís way as much as the next guy, but I donít do it at the
expense of other peopleís lives. Now simmer down and letís do it by the
book, okay?"

Harper raised an eyebrow, not sure if there would be
bloodshed or worse. Her purple perfectness wouldíve backed down, hell, sheíd
never have been so Warrior Princess in the first place, but this Trance...
well, this one was still a bit of a mystery.

Figuring that the last thing any of them needed was a
pissing contest in Dragan-controlled territory, Harper cleared his throat
softly. "Hey, guys, tick tock, remember? We got a friend to rescue, so
letís get to it."

Giving the Nietzschean a last focused glare, Trance turned
her back, ignoring him utterly. Rafe was her only concern now, and this time
when she got him back, she was going to make sure he stayed with her. He got
into far too much trouble on his own.

"I think I liked the purple one better," Rhade
grumbled softly to Harper, making Beka laugh as she overheard him.

Nodding vehemently, Harper fell into line with the other
humans, glancing at Beka for her reaction to the woman whoíd become her
best friend.

Beka, not sure what to think of Trance at the moment,
concentrated on the issue at hand. "I want my brother back. Alive. We
play this smart and safe because that way weíll be sure to get him,"
she muttered through clenched teeth. "Now weíre burning valuable
time, so, Brendan, can we get our asses in gear, please?!"

Before anyone could reply, a pair of Dragans rounded a
distant corner and after a few steps noticed the strange group. Hands
flashed toward weapons, but they never had a chance as they were cut down by
fire from the invaders.

"Now we have to move quickly," Rhade said,
straightening up from his defensive crouch. "When they donít report
in, the alarm will be raised. We have only a short time left before this
whole base is on alert."

He looked at Trance. "Do you have any idea where he
might be? Or you?" he added, looking at Brendan on the assumption that
he might know where prisoners were usually held.

Rafe looked up as the lock blew on the holding cell and
grinned tiredly as first Dylan and then Beka, Harper and Brendan poured
through the door. Finally a strange golden woman who bore an uncanny
resemblance to Trance brought up the rear, leaving the Nietzscheans to guard
their backs. "Never thought Iíd say this but youíre a sight for
sore eyes, Hunt. And you, Valentine Smart, youíre beautiful as always. Whoís
the disco queen?"

"Rafe, oh God, we..." Beka took a deep, calming
breath. "We gotta get you out of here, now. Can you walk?"

"Lead the way, baby sister."

Trance snorted. "You know perfectly well who I am, Rafe
Valentine," she said harshly, trying to hide her reaction to seeing
him. She wanted to hurt those who had hurt him, but she knew there was no
time. "Just you wait till we get back to the Andromeda. Iím going to
make sure you take care of yourself properly from now on."

Eyebrows rising, Rhade remained silent, not believing that
either Rafe or Trance would appreciate hearing that she sounded like a
Nietzschean matriarch taking her husband to task.

Rafeís one eyebrow attempted to shoot up into his
hairline, and only the pain of his beatings stopped it. "What, you go
change skin tone on me, and you become sort of warrior goddess on a
rampage?" he snorted, looking at the golden woman before accepting the
sidearm that Dylan handed him.

For the first time since the Orcas got hold of him, Rafe
wasnít a cowering mess, and heíd be damned if heíd go back to that.
Her former purpleness would have to deal, and that was that. Rafe Valentine
was the captain of his ship once more.

"Iíll second that request," Brendan whispered,
motioning the other prisoners out of the holding cell and handing them each
a weapon as they passed him. "We need to get the fuck out of here
before the alert goes off!"

"Finally, someone makes sense," Rhade muttered,
waiting till the last of the humans had passed before falling in behind at
Harperís side. As heíd expected, the blond engineer had refused to leave
till every prisoner was freed, and as first officer of the Andromeda
Ascendant, it was Agravaine Rhadeís unenviable task to make sure he
survived his altruistic impulses.

Trance, on the other hand, had made sure that she and Rafe
were the first to leave, with Harperís cousin close on their heels and
Beka close enough to be mistaken for her brotherís shadow.

"Weíll be able to return to the Andromeda soon,"
she murmured. "Brendan agreed to come."

"First we get the prisoners out and safe, and then we
leave these bastards a little surprise," Rafe replied somewhat
forcefully. "I owe them, Trance, I owe them and the Orcas big.
Since I canít get those animals, these ones will have to do."

"Hey, you think Iím gonna go into a major
Drago-Katzov compound and not leave a few parting gifts?"
Brendan snorted from behind Rafe. "Harper and I didnít get much
sleeping done the other night, but we did tweak a few surprises to really
get this party started."

Wit that Brendan touched a remote detonator heíd palmed,
and the Dragan prisoner complex started to go up like the Fourth of July.
"God, I love Independence Day, donít you, cuz?"

"Oh yeah," Harper chuckled, not bothering to stop
and admire his handiwork. "Iím just a boy with his toys!"

"Tyr will be so upset to have missed it," Rhade
said blandly, eyeing Harper while Loki choked.

"Men," Trance uttered in tones of total disgust
while Beka rolled her eyes in agreement.

"Pity theyíre so useful in some ways. Weíd be much
better off without them."

"I think my father was smart to pick Harper after
marrying his wives," Loki muttered.

"Letís not talk about the uber bitch, okay
Loki?" Harper growled quietly. "Your father knows better than
that. I get... cranky when sheís mentioned," the human continued
without missing a step. "And he doesnít get any either, which makes him
cranky!"

"In that case I wonít warn you where not to stick
your hands the next time you come into the machine shop after... weíve
polished the tables." Harper grinned wickedly while Brendan chortled
quietly in the background.

Loki rolled his eyes. "I still think youíd be better
off with me," he retorted, moving closer, eyes fixed on Harper.

"If youíre so sure of that, Iíd suggest you discuss
it with your father. After all, you never know, he might actually give me
up... and the Magog will become vegetarians."

Grumbling under his breath, Loki crossed his arms over his
chest and growled at Harper as he stalked along at Brendanís side, then
growled at the other human when he noticed that he was doubled over with
laughter.

"Something wrong, little Nietzschean?" Brendan
asked with an innocent mien, trying to suppress his laughter in order to
spare the puppyís pride somewhat. Biting his tongue for security as well
as to prevent the peals of laughter at Lokiís expense, Brendan quickly led
his people back into the tunnels and away from the Dragan patrols that had
finally begun to look for the kludges whoíd dared to attack one of their
strongholds.

"Quiet now, all of you. Weíre passing under Dragan-controlled
areas."

"íLittle Nietzschean?í" Loki snarled, looking
remarkably like his father at that moment, spikes flaring along his arms in
reaction to the adrenalin rush. He bit back the comment he wanted to make,
not willing to draw the Dragans down on them, but he vowed that he and the
brash human would have a long discussion as soon as possible.

"Young Nietzschean?" Brendan offered with a bona
fide smirk.

Harper, trying very hard not to laugh out loud in order to
spare Lokiís feelings, walked just a little slower and fell back enough to
get out of the range of hearing before he busted a gut.

Beka and Dylan smirked as they watched the interaction
between yet another Nietzschean-human pairing in the works. They couldnít
wait for the fireworks to start once they got back to the Maru... provided
that the fireworks didnít intrude on the trioís time alone together.

"It would be helpful if you would hold off on the
mating displays till we are somewhere more secure," Rhade said dryly,
eyeing the two of them.

"Mating disp..." Brendan choked. "Not in this
lifetime, buddy! First of all, I prefer the fairer sex more often than not,
and secondly, I prefer humans. Thanks all the same. Besides, Iím not ready
to make a dowry offer for the lad; heís still got some growing up to
do," Brendan continued, deciding to nip that line of thought in the
bud.

About to agree fervently that he was totally disinterested
in Harperís cousin, Brendanís last comment brought Loki up short, and he
turned to glare at the human with narrowed eyes. "I am not a
child," he growled, moving closer until Brendan was forced to tilt his
head back to meet the tall young Nietzscheanís eyes.

"Height does not equal maturity, or havenít they
taught you that?" Brendan replied casually. "Harper tells me that
you stowed away on the Maru and that Beka was ready to space you. He didnít
go into the details, but the intent was rather obvious. Seems to me youíre
still a walking hormone testing his legs. So, until you prove otherwise, Iím
standing by my assessment."

That said, Brendan skirted around the Nietzschean teen and
took point to lead his people back into the tunnels so he could give some
last minute advice before he was whisked away from Earth and his own
personal windmill, the overthrow of the Dragan contingent on his planet.

Loki desperately wanted to argue his case, but he knew it
was neither the time nor the place. Gritting his teeth so hard they should
have cracked, he followed Brendan, remembering that it was his duty to
protect the infuriating human. No matter that heíd much rather tear the
manís head off himself.

"Things ought to be very interesting on the ship for
the next while," Rhade murmured to Beka, who had ended up at his side
as they moved through what had once been Bostonís subway system.

"Youíre telling me," the blonde replied with a
grin. "Talk about oil and water."

"Theyíre either going to kill each other before we
get back to the Andromeda or melt a couple bed frames. I think Harperís
planning on sleeping in Engineering just to avoid the fallout of either
possibility," Dylan added as he moved to join the conversation while he
watched the young man in question jog ahead to join his cousin.

"As if either Harper or Tyr will be seen outside their
quarters for a week after this time apart," Rhade snorted. "It
appears that the two families strike sparks off each other. We should be
careful to keep the other children away from any other relatives Harper may
have," he sighed, "unless we want to live in a constant war
zone."

Trance glanced over at that comment, but she remained silent
and her focus returned to Rafe almost instantly.

Beka shuddered at the thought. "Two Harpers is more
than enough to unleash on an unsuspecting universe. Letís just hope that
Brendan isnít too much like his cousin, or the Andromeda might not be big
enough for the both of them!"

Rafe managed a low chuckle. "Oh, I donít know, I
think theyíre kind of cute. Too bad that I seem to be off the market or Iíd
have risked getting to know the older one a little better since getting to
know the younger one would get me killed," he continued, glancing
sideway at Trance.

"Nice to have you back among the living, Mr.
Valentine," was the only comment Dylan had to add as he was more
interested in making sure their backs were still protected, just in case.

"íBout time you admitted it," Trance murmured,
reaching for and lacing her fingers through his momentarily before releasing
him so theyíd both have hands free in case they ran into any Dragans.

Rhade rolled his eyes and hastened his stride, following
Brendan and Loki through the tunnels toward the humansí hidden stronghold.
After breathing the air of Earth, in which he could taste the desperation
and despair, he was eager to finish up here and return to the Andromedaís
sanitized cleanliness.

"Like I had any choice. Youíre one scary lady when
you want to be," Rafe replied, moving quickly out of striking distance.

Brendan watched Earth fade into nothingness before they
entered slipstream. "I know it was the only choice, but why do I feel
like Iím leaving my people behind to die?" he asked no one in
particular.

Harper laid a hand on his cousinís shoulder in comfort.
"Because youíre a good man and you care. I gotta go call the big guy,
and then weíll break out some of the good stuff and remember the people weíve
buried like good Irish lads are supposed to do."

"We gonna get shit-faced then?" Brendan managed a
wavering smile.

"Oh yeah," Harper replied. "Anyone who wants
to join the Lahey-Harper family wake will adjourn to the mess in exactly
thirty minutes!" And with that, he was off to call Tyr.

"Harper!" Tyrís distracted gaze sharpened when
he saw the image on the viewscreen, the ship not having told him who was
calling before putting it through. "Tell me youíre on your way
home," he demanded, dark eyes drinking in the scruffy-looking blond,
checking for signs of injury.

"Iím on my way home," Harper smiled, desperately
happy to at least be able to see his behemoth of a lover. "We just left
the Sol system and transited into slipstream. We should be home in three or
four days, which will give me and my nanobots enough time to sober my
gorgeous self up."

"He was at first, but now he might very well be joining
me. He and Brendan... remind me of us when you and I first butted heads, and
then heads if you get my drift. Rhade assigned Loki to be Brendanís
personal security since Bren is family and Iím yours and well... you get
the picture."

Tyr blinked as he tried to follow that, then his eyes
widened as he realized what Harper was saying. "My son and your
cousin?" He started to laugh. "I wonder if I should warn Loki off?
A Harper is a bit of a handful, especially for a first time."

"Excuse me?!?" Harper snorted in disbelief.
"Well, I will admit to being more than a handfulóhell, Iím more
than a fistful, but weíre not talking about that. And for your
information, Brendanís used to being large and in charge, so I think your
son is gonna be learning humility faster than even I could have
taught it! So there, ya mook!

"Someone sure isnít looking to get some when I get
back," he finished, muttering under his breath.

Tyr simply rolled his eyes, well aware that Harper would be
at least as eager as he was if not more so. "I think we should lock
ourselves in for a week or two and let them battle it out alone. Iíd much
rather concentrate on you than our somewhat combative families."

"You wonít hear me complaining. Iím in the mood to
be tied to the bed and fucked so hard and so many times I pass out from
dehydration. And then I want to do it all over again," Harper purred,
sucking an index finger into his mouth and tonguing it for Tyr to see.

A tiny smile curled Tyrís lips, and he pushed his chair
farther away from the screen as one hand fell to his lap, now visible to
Harper. "I think I might be able to accommodate you. Again." Eyes
never leaving Harperís, he unfastened the tight, black leather pants and
fisted his stiffening cock, a small groan escaping him at the sensation.

"Mmm, is that a gauss rifle in your pants, or are you
eager to see me?" Harper smirked. "And I hate to tell you this,
big guy, but the Maru isnít the Andromeda, no privacy. If you want
everyone on board to check out your wares, all you have to do is wait a
little longer and... Hey! Beka, some privacy, please!"

"Harper what are you... oh my! Ummm, going to the
flight deck now!"

Tyr started laughing again, hands falling to his sides as he
shook his head. "Get home soon, Pet, and Iíll make sure you canít
walk straight for a week."

"If thatís the best you can promise, youíre getting
rusty. I donít want to be able to move for a week!" Harper growled,
staring daggers down the corridor toward the sound of muffled laughter.
"Sheís a dead woman. Dylan will still have Rhade, so he wonít miss
her that much, will he?" Harper asked almost plaintively. "No one
will miss her if I space her, right?"

"You would," Tyr pointed out, trying not to
laugh. "Besides, after that, she probably headed straight for Dylan and
Rhade, and I very much doubt even your infamous ingenuity could figure out
how to kill all three of them at once."

"Iím sure I can think of something. Theyíre all
probably fucking like minks and here I am, the one with the addiction, and I
canít get any for another four days. It isnít fair, Tyr," Harper
whined. "Excuse me while I go drown my sorrows and my extreme horndog
state in alcohol. Good thing booze depresses the libido; I have a feeling Iím
gonna need it!"

"Just make sure you stop drinking at least a day before
you get here so youíre neither drunk nor hungover when you hit our bed...
which will be approximately ten seconds after the Maru lands in the hangar
bay!"

"Nanobots are a drunkardís best friend," Harper
grinned, blowing Tyr a kiss as he signed off.

"We are on Beka Valentineís god damned ship in the
middle of slipstream on the way to your fatherís fucking warship. Tell me,
little man, why would I possibly need protecting here of all places?
Even Rhade isnít occupied with guarding my cousin; heís too busy fucking
either Captain Valentine or her first officer. If he can have mind blowing
sex instead of watching Harper, Iíd say weíre fairly secure, wouldnít
you?" Brendan snarled, fighting the urge to break out a shriller just
to get the brat off his back.

"If you say that where either Rhade or Beka can hear
you, youíll need protecting from them," Loki retorted dryly.
"Iím somehow supposed not only to protect you physically from those
members of my fatherís crew who donít approve of kludges having the
freedom of the Andromeda but also from getting yourself killed or maimed for
insulting someone. And considering the friends Harperís managed to make,
talking about him the way you just you just did about the others could be
what gets you killed!" He really wished he could just gag the annoying
man.

Brendan growled low in his throat and spun on his heel to
walk rapidly down the corridor into the mess hall. He was gonna kill the kid
before long, really he was. Okay, so maybe he was a little coarse, but
living the way he had for as long as he had tended to leave its mark.

As if heíd ever do anything to insult or hurt the only
living relative he had left in the universe. HA! Heíd die before he hurt
Seamus, and Seamus knew it. He also knew that what came out of Brendanís
mouth was just plain olí Boston street talk. Those bloody boneheads living
their fancy life in fancy ships and never having to worry about bare bones
survival were the last people who had the right to judge.

Unfortunately they would be the first to do so because
kludges were just slave labor, cannon fodder to use until they couldnít be
useful anymore and then killed and thrown out with the trash. That was
something Brendan had seen all too often and knew far too much about. And
now the snot nosed, spoiled brat of a firstborn son of one of those bloody
dictators dared to reprimand him about his foul mouth? Not bloody
likely!

"Heís a good kid, under it all. Really," Harper
said quietly, handing Brendan a glass of Irish whiskey, the real stuff.
"And heís seen more than youíd think. The Kodiaks were nearly
slaughtered by the Orcas... because of me. It wasnít far off of what we
went through, Bren. We just had to live through it longer and got so used to
the violence that it takes some fairly big shit to shock us anymore."

"Aye, that it does. But it doesnít mean I like him.
Just so long as we have that straight."

Snarling at the stupidity of the irritating Earther, Loki
scowled at the door before deciding not to follow Brendan in. He was fairly
certain that Harper would take his cousinís side, and he really didnít
want Harper mad at him. Still fuming, he stalked away, not even noticing
when he nearly flattened Trance.

Stumbling backward, Trance flailed for balance, latching on
to Rafeís arm. Once steady again, she stared down the corridor after the
young Nietzschean, then turned laughing eyes up to Rafe. "I think that
pairing may be even more volatile than Harper and Tyr. Just remind me to
watch out for him. I donít think Iíd make a very attractive rug."

"Darlin, in the mood that one is in youíd be a gold
smear on the floor, never mind a rug," Rafe chuckled, wrapping his arm
around her waist and heading into the mess to join Harper and Brendan.
"So, someone mind explaining what set the mini-Tyr off this time?"
he asked to the two men already on their second glasses of whiskey.

Tyr ignored the knowing smirks on several faces as he
practically vibrated with anticipation, waiting for the Maru to dock and
Harper to step off the ship. He hoped Harper had taken of whatever he had
to, because Tyr intended to toss him over his shoulder and drag him back to
their quarters the moment he saw him.

Inside the Maru Dylan and Beka watched with amusement as
their little Harper bounced in from cockpit to hull door and back again.
Rafe figured someone was gonna gag him if he asked, ĎAre we there yet?í
one more time.

Brendan, on the other hand, looked at the Andromeda with
mixed emotions. He was about to set foot on the flagship of the Kodiak
pride, one of the foremost Nietzschean prides. He really needed to have his
head examined. A ship full of Nietzscheans and he was willingly going
aboard it. "Right fucking mad is what I am," he muttered under his
breath.

"You might want to stand farther back," Loki said
quietly, trying not to laugh as he watched Harper. "You really donít
want to be between Harper and the exit when heís been away from my father
for this long." Much as Loki wanted Harper himself, he didnít delude
himself about the strength of Harperís attraction to Tyr.

"Never thought Iíd see the day," Brendan
admitted. "Harper head over heels crazy in love... and with a
Nietzschean. And no, Iím not trying to be insulting; itís just a simple
fact. Where we grew up falling in love with a Nietzschean was a death
sentence either by the boneys or by our own kind for being a Ďtraitor to
the causeí. But there he is, ass over teakettle madly in love, and itís...
sweet." Brendan shook his head. "I canít believe I just said
that."

Frowning now, Loki stared fixedly at Harper, who didnít
even seem to notice. Heíd never thought of it like that, never realized
what Harperís life had truly been like. Maybe... maybe there really wasnít
any hope for him with the human man; maybe he should accept that Harper only
truly wanted Tyr. He slumped slightly, realization and disappointment
washing over him.

"Hey, cheer up, kid. Iím sure before long your father
will arrange to get you a nice Nietzschean wife or ten, and you can start
procreating to your heartís content," Brendan replied, awkwardly
patting Loki on the shoulder. "Besides, you really donít want your
dad to kill you for poaching, do you?"

Loki darted a glance at him. "I never realized,"
he started awkwardly, then sighed. "I never... liked... anyone the way
I do Harper," he mumbled, now staring at the flooring.

"Thatís Ďcause heís like a wriggly little puppy
dog. Heís cute and cuddly and sassy and obnoxious but not too
obnoxious all rolled up into one neat and tiny bundle. It makes him
eminently likeable to anyone with good taste.

"Heís also fiercely loyal, honorable and the sort of
person you want guarding your back. Hell, if he werenít my blood, Iíd
probably be interested in him too. But lemme give you one tiny piece of
advice when it comes to the people from the Harper and Lahey clans. When we
love, itís all consuming, and itís until one of us dies, usually us of
the Harper and Lahey clans. If we manage to outlive our mate, we go on
but... we still love only one person.

"But God help the idiot who breaks our hearts. Thereís
usually not enough left to fill a test tube when weíre done with them.
Thatís just the way our genetic makeup runs."

"God dammit, Beka, canít you fly this bucket
of bolts any faster? Just because youíve been walking around for the past
few days like a cat in cream doesnít mean the rest of us have a milk
supply available, you know?" Harper bellowed from the bowels of the
ship where he paced in front of the airlock, frantically waiting to get out.

Everyoneís eyes rolled, making them all snort when they
realized what theyíd done.

"Yes, Beka," Trance said, "please dock
soon before weíre forced to do something drastic to him. If Tyrís
anywhere near as bad as he is, there may have been a mutiny on the
Andromeda."

"I heard that!" Harper bellowed from the back.
"Watch it, goldie, or Iíll tell Rafe all about the things you used to
do to unsuspecting people with your tail!"

The minute the airlock depressurized Harper hit the button
and managed to get himself out of the door before it had even opened wide
enough for a human body to pass through. If heíd been thinking about what
heíd done, he might have been rather smug about his ability to squirm
through tight spots, but the human had only one thing on his mind. He wanted
his mate, and he wanted him now!

Tyr was standing outside the Maruís airlock, glaring at
the innocent metal as if it were personally responsible for keeping him from
Harper, so he was able to catch Harper in his arms the moment the blond
squeezed through the still opening hatchway.

"Harper." He breathed his mateís name an instant
before his mouth covered Harperís hungrily, arms tightening around the
wiry body and drawing him close.

Squirming and trying desperately to wrap himself as tightly
as possible around the large, black Nietzschean, Harper bit down on Tyrís
lower lip before laving at it. "Bed, now," he gasped when he was
finally allowed to breathe again. "You have a vid call to finish!"

Brendan, who had followed his cousin at a more laid back
pace couldnít help but stare at the man that Harper was clinging to,
limpet-like. "Well, bugger me, ainít he a big one?" the
Bostonian muttered under his breath. "Kinda makes a man think twice
about being het, he does."

"Who did you think I took after?" Loki snorted as
he pushed past, glancing around to see who was in the landing bay. The last
thing he needed was for Brendan to annoy someone and get himself killed
before they even made it all the way onto the ship. Fortunately, it seemed
no one had wanted to be around Tyr while the captain was waiting for Harper,
so the place was conspicuously empty. "Weíd better get you a
room," he sighed, knowing that he was going to have to spend most of
his time watching over Harperís cousin instead of working with Harper.

"I was thinking of staying here on the Maru or at least
close to Harper or the other humans," Brendan began nervously.

"If you want, you can bunk with me," Rafe offered,
coming up behind Brendan and Loki. "Believe me, I can relate to what
youíre going through. In spades. Besides, us bachelors have to stick
together, donít we?"

Rafe had a feeling that this wouldnít fly too well with
Trance but... while he was back among the living and definitely healing,
there were some things he still wasnít ready for. Logically intimacy with
a woman shouldnít have scared him since heíd been raped by Nietzschean
males, but... it seemed like it had only been yesterday when heíd been
taken by Orca Pride, and he had a lot of healing yet to do.

Besides, he really did understand where Brendan was coming
from, and until Harperís cousin was more comfortable being on a ship full
of Nietzscheans, Rafe would be more than willing to play buffer. It was the
least he could do. And he still owed Harper huge. Besides if there was one
thing that Rafael Valentine always did, it was pay his debts, and this would
be a step in that direction.

He just hoped his golden lady friend didnít decide to bash
him for it.

Trance rolled her eyes, but she knew she and Rafe still had
a long way to go. "Iím sure you wonít mind if I borrow Rafe every
so often," she said, smiling at Brendan. "Right now I think Iíll
let Ďyou bachelorsí settle in while I go check on my plants." She
pressed a quick kiss to Rafeís cheek before heading away, noticing with no
surprise that Harper and Tyr had already disappeared.

Harper had his shirt off before the door had even started to
close, and his pants were unbuckled and unzipped. His shoes got toed off on
the way through the living area to land with muffled thuds on the carpeted
floor. He thought he managed to toe off his socks too, but he couldnít be
sure, and he really couldnít give a ratís ass about it either.

"Three fucking weeks. Itís been three fucking weeks
since you fucked me. God, Iíve been going crazy. Get that trouser monster
in me now, will ya?"

Tyr groaned a laugh at Harperís usual colorful language,
but he was stripping as rapidly as the human. His grip shifted, grasping
Harperís buttocks, two fingers rubbing against and slipping into the slick
opening. "Got yourself ready for me, Pet?" he chuckled, pulling
Harper down onto him. A harsh groan of pleasure ripped from him as he felt
the tight heat sheath him.

"Oh fuck YES!" Harper yelped as Tyr reclaimed his
virginally tight body all over again. Three weeks had given the nanobots
plenty of time to repair and recalibrate, so to speak, and now they were
both reaping the benefits of the time off. Panting hard, Harper clawed his
way up Tyrís chest so that he was basically spitted on the Nietzscheanís
cock while his mouth claimed his loverís in a fierce kiss. "Love you,
big guy," he managed to get out. "Now enough with the sweet and
lovey, fuck me already!"

"If you canít tell thatís what Iím doing, we
really have some catching up to do!" Tyr slapped Harperís back
against the wall, bracing him so he could pound even harder into the
yielding body, one arm briefly sliding between them to rake his arm spikes
over Harperís nipples.

Mewling happily, Harper latched onto the side of Tyrís
neck with his mouth and held on for dear life as he was pounded into with
the force that only a Nietzschean could muster. He lasted all of two minutes
before wailing and coming, sending streams of hot white seed between their
slapping bellies. "God, yes, do that again!" he begged.

Tyr never stopped his fierce thrusting, only growling
harshly as he felt his mate ripple around him. "Never letting you go
away from me again," he rasped, then took Harperís mouth again.
"Going to make you come till youíre a limp puddle."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Harper smiled
beatifically, pulling Tyr down for another hot kiss and ignoring the first
part of what his lover had said as nothing more than Tyr being emotional and
not at all logical.

"But how about we take this to the bed? I believe you
agreed to tie me down and fuck me through the deck plating?" he
continued, tightening his anal muscles around the cock impaling him.

"I donít believe tying will be necessary," Tyr
chuckled darkly, lowering them to the bed in a controlled fall that drove
him even deeper inside Harper. "You arenít going anywhere."

"I didnít say it would be necessary, idiot,"
Harper replied after he had a chance to regain his senses from the extreme
bliss of being so deeply filled. "I just said I wanted you to do it. Itís
a kink of mine. Beside I trust you completely; I know youíll never do
anything I donít want you to.

"But that can wait until a later date. Right now,"
Harper trailed the metal barbell piercing his tongue down the side of his
loverís neck until he found a hard nipple and then began to flick it back
and forth, flaying it with the metal. "Right now, you were doing
something different. You may continue."

Both eyebrows rose so sharply they almost disappeared into
Tyrís hairline. "I may, may I? You are a very pushy pet. Itís
fortunate that youíre cute as well." Tyr slammed into him again, then
stilled, buried to the root inside Harper while he lightly dragged his bone
blades over the head of Harperís cock.

"A-and you love me, donít forget that," Harper
panted as he brought one hand down, his fingers brushing lightly against Tyrís
erection as it powered in and out of his body, loving the feel of being
claimed, the way his ass clung so tightly to Tyrís cock, squeezing down on
him with every thrust.

"Ah yes, there is that," Tyr agreed, somehow
managing to sound calmly contemplative while the sweat of exertion dripped
from him and pleasure twisted his face. "I suppose Iíll just have to
keep you satisfied."

"Yup, after all a happy Harper is a Harper that stays
out of trouble," the younger man smirked, his breath catching in his
throat as his prostate was slammed over and over. It wouldnít be much
longer before he was once more coming buckets all over himself and Tyr; his
body was well and truly deprived of the loving heíd grown accustomed to.
Being addicted to Tyr wasnít nearly as traumatic as being addicted to sex
with any Nietzschean. In fact, it was like comparing apples with Magog or
whatever that old analogy was.

Tyr actually paused in mid-stroke to gape down at him in
disbelief. "When have you ever stayed out of trouble?" he
demanded, slowly starting to move again.

Harper wailed at the cessation of motion, truly distraught
at the whole interruption of motion. It was only after Tyr started to move
again that he could form a coherent reply. "Umm, when youíre buried
balls deep inside of me, like you are right now?"

"Then Iíll just have to keep you here all the
time," Tyr rumbled, reaching between them to rub his thumb over Harperís
cock, teasing the sensitive head as he drove him.

Harper nodded, or at least he thought he did. He was much
too concerned with the fact that his balls were boiling and he was that
close to coming. Wet noodle never sounded more attractive than it did right
now. Limp, exhausted, sweaty, semen-covered and totally sated: That was his
goal for the next few hours, not making small talk.

Deciding that Tyr wasnít doing things hard or fast enough
at that particular moment in time, Harper bit down on his loverís nipple
hard enough to make Tyr jerk forward in surprise and then grinned and
proceeded to do it again.

"Hard, then?" Tyr said, eyeing his smugly smirking
mate. "I think I can accommodate you." He moved his hands to
either side of Harperís head to brace himself and let go, pounding into
Harper as hard as a human body could stand.

Gasping in happy reaction, Harper reached up with his hands
and wrapped them around Tyrís wrists, holding on for dear life as he was
given exactly what heíd been asking for. Writhing and mewling and cursing
and begging incoherently, the human let his need take over, and all too soon
he was shooting another load of come all over his stomach, and still Tyr
kept pounding into him, giving Harper everything he needed and then some.

"Thatís two. But youíve been gone for twenty-one
days." Tyr gave him a very toothy smile as he growled and arched hard,
coming as well, though he never stopped moving, not nearly satisfied yet.

"You think you only come once a day?" Tyr gave him
another shark-like smile before rolling to his back. Big hands gripped
Harperís hips and moved him like a rag doll on the shaft impaling him
while Tyr took advantage of the new position to draw a reddened nipple into
his mouth and bite down.

"You mean youíre gonna make me come more than
twenty-one times in the space of a single night? Itís not humanly
possible! Not even for me," Harper yelped, still panting and trying to
recover from his last orgasm. If Tyr was determined to turn him into a come
machine, he was a dead Harper!

"But just think how much fun weíll have trying,"
Tyr retorted, releasing the now rock-hard nipple and switching his attention
to its companion.

Squirming in reaction, his sticky cock grinding against his
loverís stomach, Harper answered with a whimper. He was gonna die, but
what a way to go! "Never thought Iíd actually be praying for
something to happen which would require the captain on the bridge, but that
might be the only way to save my life at this point!" he teased.

"And within fifteen minutes, youíd be there too to
drag me back... or go for it right there," Tyr shot back, grinning. He
loved that Harper could keep up with him and was so demanding. "I donít
think Iíve done you over the railing on the bridge yet."

"Not with people present!" Harper yelped,
terrified at the thought of other Nietzscheans seeing his sweet little ass.

Tyr rolled his eyes. "No, Iíd prefer not to put on a
show for the crew. But I am the captain after all. I could clear the
bridge." He thrust up harder, smirking as Harperís cock began to
stir.

"Sure, and if something were to come up, other than you
or me that is?" Harper snortedóor attempted to before the thrust to
his still sensitive prostate made him whine pitifully. "Damn, you
really are hungry, arenít you?"

"After famine comes the feast," Tyr intoned, then
chuckled. "And donít even try to convince me you arenít just as
hungry, Pet. I saw you come off the Maru. If that hatch hadnít opened, itís
debatable which of us would have ripped through it first."

"Yeah, but gluttony is like one of the seven deadly
sins, and resting is a good thing, gives the nanobots time to make me all
nice and tight assed again. And you know how much you like my tight ass when
itís practically virginal all over again," Harper wheedled
shamelessly.

"I wasnít aware either of us was Christian, let alone
followed beliefs of Earthís early Medieval period," Tyr replied
dryly, never faltering in his rhythm. "And I find your ass deliciously
tight just as it is right now."

"Hey, any port in a s-storm and all that," Harper
gasped, knowing heíd lost the argument and not really caring one way or
another. Wrapping his arms around Tyrís neck, he sighed and held on tight.
"But after this round I really gotta get a little rest; I havenít
slept well since I left. Deal?"

Tyr actually paused to look down at him, one large hand
brushing the sweaty blond strands out of Harperís face. "Nor have
I," he admitted. "I would very much like to sleep with you beside
me again. Or maybe I should say on top of me," he added wryly,
referring to Harperís penchant for curling up on his chest like some
over-sized housecat. His hips once more moving smoothly, he made sure to rub
Harperís renewed erection between them with every stroke.

"Hey, you love it and you know it. Besides I keep you
warm at night," Harper laughed, tugging on Tyrís hair until the
Nietzscheanís mouth was at perfect height for nibbling on. Moaning, he
thrust up into Tyrís body, his legs clinging to his loverís hips as he
rode out his ever increasing arousal.

"The fact that the ship has to lower the temperature in
our room so that we can be comfortable is beside the point?" Tyr
snorted. "You have a prodigious talent for skewing facts to suit
yourself. Most admirable." He bit at Harperís lips, tugging and
nipping as the pleasure rose in them yet again.

"Hey, reality is what we make of it and all that crap.
Now do you really want to ta-talk about existentialist crap right in the
middle of our welcome home fuck orrrrrrróGod, do that again!ódo you
wanna get nasty?" Harper grumbled playfully.

"I think I want to keep fucking till you scream so loud
they hear you on the bridge." Tyr reached down, fingertips lightly
rubbing the straining flesh gripping his cock so tightly.

"You... fucking hell and little fishes, Tyr!"
Harper gasped as the fingers caressed him. "You soundproofed the
bedroom, remember, when the kids moved onto the Andromeda? Didnít want to
rupture their little eardrums with Harper screams."

"Just makes it more of a challenge," Tyr purred,
trailing a string of bites along Harperís jaw.

"Sadist," Harper panted. "If I shred my vocal
chords, you wonít get to hear me sing in the shower anymore."

"Pet, you always sing for me." Tyr grinned
wickedly and sped up his pace, jabbing into Harperís prostate with every
torturously pleasurable thrust. "Sing for me now, Harper," he
rasped, trembling on the brink of his own climax.

"OhgodohgodohgodOHGOD!" Harper panted,
feeling the need to come race through him yet again. It was truly pathetic,
he thought with a grin; all Tyr had to do was say come, and Harper did. Talk
about your Pavlovian responses. Of course, knowing that he did it didnít
prevent him from doing it, and all it took was a few more stabs to his
prostate and Harper was wailing like a banshee of old, his cock spewing come
onto his stomach.

The tight clenching of Harperís body around his
over-sensitized cock tipped Tyr over the edge as well, and they came nearly
simultaneously, the Nietzschean crying out almost as loudly as the human
before he slumped over his smaller companion.

"I donít know if I should go away more often or never
leave again," Harper panted after long moments of recovery. "The
welcome home was so fucking good it damn near killed me, which would have
been a bad thing!"

"Iím sure your purple friend would have found a way
to revive you," Tyr muttered, face still buried in the pillow over
Harperís shoulder. He had noticed how odd things happened around her, but
he chose not to pursue it so long as she seemed fond of Harper and he of
her.

"Uh, yeah, about that," Harper coughed, searching
for a way to say what he had to without sounding completely crackers.
"Well, thing is, sheís not purple anymore. She changed colors on the
planet. When the Dragans grabbed Rafe and we had to go into their compound
and rescue..." Harperís hand clamped over his mouth when he realized
heíd been on another one of his full tilt rants and said more than he
should have. "Oops."

Tyr seemed to have been turned to stone, rigid, silent,
immobile. Very, very slowly, his head rose and deliberately calm eyes
focused on Harperís. "You went where?" he asked in an
admirably level tone... that was belied by his arm spikes flaring and
piercing the mattress on either side of Harperís body.

"Umm, we went to rescue Rafe?" Harper obfuscated.

The sound of the mattress shredding further seemed an
adequate expression of Tyrís opinion of that statement. "You are never
setting foot off this ship again without me," he stated emphatically,
the level tone gradually shifting to a snarl. The sheer terror that had
struck him when Harper first spoke was already changing to anger.

"Hey, I was with Rhade, Dylan and Beka; they never left
me alone, honest. I felt like Nightsider royalty surrounded by all the
guards. Geez, Tyr, Iím not a complete idiot; I do know how to take care of
myself yíknow. Did it for a long time before you decided to turn me into a
pet," Harper groused, getting slightly miffed but also feeling a case
of the warm and fuzzies that his Nietz was so protective of him.

"Harper, I donít care if you single-handedly
overthrew the Vedran empire! You could have been killed!" His arms
closed convulsively around the blond, as if to prevent anything from
happening to him.

"Anyone ever tell you that youíre cute when you get
all snarly and overprotective like that?" Harper sighed, snuggling
closer to his mate. "Itís kinda sexy in a cuddle bunny sorta
way."

"I am not cute!" Tyr snapped in a tone of
utter disgust.

"Okay, how about it was adorable in a manly sort of
way?" Harper snickered.

Tyr flipped them over and brought his hand down sharply on
Harperís ass.

Groaning, Tyr rolled him off and stood up, shaking his head.
"You are an absolute brat," he sighed, stretching luxuriantly
before striding toward the bathroom, needing a shower.

"But you love me all the same," Harper smirked
from his prone position on the bed, yawning and closing his eyes
contentedly.

Tyr simply grunted, knowing it was true.

"Bed, now," Beka said emphatically,
catching hold of both her menís arms. Seeing Tyr and Harperís
overwhelming sensuality had her wet and aching, and after the lack of
privacy since leaving the Andromeda, she thought they were due some time to
themselves.

Rhadeís nostrils flared, and he smiled tightly as he
caught the scent of Bekaís arousal, his own body leaping in response.
Thank the forefathers Tyrís sister was willing to marry him and not
interfere in his relationship with the two humans so he would never have to
give this up.

Even as he pondered the situation, his feet were already
moving toward the humansí quarters, his body hard and ready.

Dylan smirked and let himself be dragged away by the
voracious blonde. "So, who thinks Harper wonít even make it back to
his quarters before heís fucked through something?" he smirked,
amused by the events of the past few minutes. "And how long do you
think itíll take Loki and Brendan to stop sniping and start humping like
their father and cousin?"

Rhade laughed while Beka looked at him like he was nuts,
then paused as she thought about it. "You think? Hmmm, could be. But
could we discuss their love lives later? Right now, we need to concentrate
on ours!"

Rhade tumbled her through the door and onto their bed,
landing between her spread legs and pressing close. "What did you have
in mind?"

"Us, hot, sweaty, naked and conjoined. I leave the
planning of the details to you two," Beka smirked as she began to strip
out of as much clothing as she could with Rhade on top of her. "Get
your ass on the bed, Hunt."

"Yes maíam, captain maíam!" Dylan saluted
smartly and then perched on the end of the bed.

"Good man!" Beka approved, groaning as Rhade
pushed into her, his pants down around his knees. "Oh yes!" Her
knees rose to grip his ribs tightly, and she consciously kept her legs from
wrapping around him, wanting to leave room for Dylan.

"Think you can figure out your part?" Rhade
taunted over his shoulder, dark eyes sparkling at Dylan.

"The choices, the choices," Dylan chuckled.
"Seems to me I have two targets, not one. Do I join the battle already
engaged or do I strike elsewhere?" he pondered. "Maybe I should
investigate further, an exploratory foray so to speak."

Rhade and Beka rolled their eyes at each other.

"Would you just get over here," Beka grumbled.

"Anyone ever tell you youíre a pushy woman?"
Dylan asked mildly even as he calmly stood to strip off and neatly hang his
clothes on the back of a chair. "And an impatient one at that too, and
letís not go into the horrific traits the Nietzschean is displaying."

"Dylan, either shut up and join us or you wonít be
fucking anyone today," Rhade was driven to say. The man could be
infuriating at times.

"You think?" Dylan asked with the quirk of an
eyebrow.

"No, he knows. Now you heard the man, fuck him
already," Beka agreed cheerfully, moaning as Rhade hit just the right
spot.

"You should listen to her. She is your captain, after
all." Rhade stopped talking in favor of kissing Beka until she was
breathless, fingers tangling in her hair.

"Some people are too damn pushy. Ruin all my fun, why
donít you?" Dylan groused even as he slicked up his cock and slid
inside the Nietzscheanís body. "Did you ever think that I actually
enjoy teasing you both from time to time? Canít be Mr. Straight and Narrow
twenty-four/seven, you know."

"Dylan Hunt wanting to stray off the straight path of
righteousness?" Beka gasped while Rhade snickered. "Can I survive
the shock?"

"As long as you move, you can take any path you
want," Rhade put in somewhat breathlessly, dark eyes heavy lidded as he
peered over his shoulder at the other man.

"Keep up the insults," Dylan growled, "and
the only path Iíll take is right out the door!" he promised direly.

Rhade simply clenched his ass, muscles rippling around Dylanís
cock.

"Boys, boys, will you stop flinging the testosterone
around and just fuck already," Beka moaned, reaching around Rhade to
take Dylanís hips and slam them forward into the Nietzschean, who then
drove into her. Much better!

Dylan groaned, took the hint, and began to power into the
Nietzschean beneath him, his thrusts making both his partners and the bed
shake with their intensity.

Rhade took Bekaís mouth in a kiss as possessive as his
cock driving into her, and he groaned harshly as Dylan hit his sweet spot
again and again. Like his ancestor, the original Dylan Hunt, this one had a
heavy-worlder mother, giving him almost Nietzschean strength, something that
Rhade enjoyed very much at times like this.

Rhade did spare a moment to wonder about the possibility of
Beka becoming pregnant by him, something that no longer seemed as abhorrent
as it once had. It would be her choice, and his was not to ask about it. He
cried out when Dylan bit down on his shoulder, his ass clenching around the
cock driving into him.

"Whatís the matter, Rhade?" Dylan purred,
licking his way to the other shoulder and adding another, matching mark on
it. "One would think that you couldnít keep up or something. How does
it feel, my cock driving into you, yours driving into Beka? I bet sheís
hot and wet and sweet, isnít she? Does it feel good, being sandwiched
between us like this? Losing control, getting taken and aroused beyond even
your self control?" the High Guard panted, nipping at Rhadeís ear.

Had it been anyone else, blood would have been spilled, but
Rhade had to admit, if only to himself, that Dylan was perfectly correct. It
felt wonderful being sandwiched between them. He rocked back and forth,
wanting to fill and be filled at once. His body tensed, and he clenched down
on Dylan, determined to make the human come first.

Dylan groaned and fought for control of his body. He knew
the game that Agravaine was playing, and for once he intended to win
it. "And after this round my ass is all yours, lover, any way you want
it," Dylan purred in his ear. "Havenít you wanted to play games
with me? Tie up the human and fuck him into a stupor, manacle him to the bed
and not let him come? Beka can help you. She can put a cock ring on me and
ride me while you fuck my mouth or my ass. Sheís even got a strap on
dildo; you can watch her take me too. Bet you didnít know about that
little kink, did you?" Rhade shuddered, the images of what Dylan was
suggesting assaulting his mind, and he lost his much vaunted control, crying
out harshly as he came, buried deep inside Bekaís yielding body.

The sudden savagery of Agravaineís thrusts had Beka crying
out as well, and her first climax took her, making her body clench around
the Nietzscheanís. "God yes!" she wailed, trying to arch beneath
the weight of both her men, grateful that they partially supported
themselves.

Pounding harder and faster, letting loose now that Rhade had
come, Dylan only lasted a few more strokes before he was coming, his arms
quivering with the strain of supporting himself when all he wanted to do was
collapse, exhausted, onto the bed.

"Now thatís what I call a housewarming!" Beka
chuckled underneath her men, exhausted and sated.

"You canít just go roaming around the ship,"
Loki growled in exasperation. "Not till my father has a chance to let
the crew know who you are. And in case you didnít notice, thatís not
going to happen for a while. I doubt he would have noticed you if he tripped
over you, unless you happened to get between him and Harper.

"So stop complaining and let me show you to your
room!"

"I remember where my room is just fine, thanks all the
same, and Iím in the human are of the ship, or so your computer informed
me. I should be safe here, shouldnít I? Besides, Iím well aware of the
fact that Iím bunking with Rafe, remember? He showed me where it was. Donít
you have something..." Brendan circled his hands expressively and
rolled his eyes, "Nietzschean to go and do? You know, polish
your bone blades or sharpen Ďem or something."

Loki snarled wordlessly. "I am doing what I
should, which is staying with a stubborn, annoying human to prevent anyone else
from being driven to kill him!"

"Awwh, donít tell me you want to kill me? Just think
what finding that out would do to me sweet cousin. Heíd be devastated. Now
you wouldnít want that to happen, would you?" Brendan asked with an
insincere smile. Why he had to be saddled with a love struck pest of
a pubescent Nietzschean was beyond him. And it was irritating that he was
actually... decent to look at. Not that Brendan Lahey, red-blooded Bostonian
boy that he was, would ever think of anything other than a sweet, soft woman
to slake his needs on.

"Why do you think I havenít Ďsharpened my bone
bladesí yet?" Loki retorted with a toothy smile. Heíd never admit
it, but this verbal sparring was the most interesting conversation he had
with anyone aside from his father and Harper.

"Because youíre too young to know where to stick
them?" Brendan replied innocently.

Loki let out a growl that made a crewman jump, thinking the
captain had suddenly appeared, and without thinking he grabbed Brendan and
pulled him into a hard but undeniably talented kiss. "Still think Iím
too young?" he retorted.

Brendan gawped at the Nietzschean for a moment and then
chuckled. "Aye, that I do, but apparently they start to teach you these
things from the cradle, so youíve had some experience. Either that or youíve
been spying on Harper and your da," he replied with a chuckle.
"Next time, however, you may want to ask first and grab later because
as flattered as I am, you really donít have my preferred choice of
equipment."

Loki gazed blankly at him for a moment before understanding
dawned, and a look of half-amused, half-disgusted disbelief covered his
features. "You really limit yourself to only one gender for
pleasure?" He shook his head. "Guess I should feel sorry for
you," he shrugged.

"This coming from a lad whose raceís entire reason
for being is procreation," Brendan laughed. "And I didnít say I
was limited, youngster. However, being raped by some bonebladed Dragan isnít
the best way to be introduced to such things, and after that I rather lost
my taste for experimentation. Iíll stick to me own kind and the fairer
sex, thanks all the same. They donít try to kill me when Iím
asleep."

Loki snorted. "You think my father tries to kill
Harper? That Rhade tries to kill Hunt or Captain Valentine? Sounds like you
just prefer your little box." He shrugged. "Rafe and Harper both
went through a lot worse, and you donít see them hiding." Loki knew a
lot more than his elders gave him credit for, in part due to his growing
friendship with Andromeda, who was willing to tell him things the adults
held back.

"You saw where I came from, child," Brendan
growled. "Tell me, do you think any one of those Dragans wound have
thought twice about killing a kludge like me? The humans who made it into
space are the lucky ones; they donít know what itís like, and I wouldnít
wish them to know. Youíre a foolish little boy who only sees what his
father allows him to. A father whoís one of the few exceptions of the
Nietzschean race, not the norm. So donít you dare call me a coward
or tell me Iím afraid. Iíve lived in hell all my life. Nothing scares me
anymore. Especially not some mewling mamaís brat who thinks he knows about
life when he hasnít even begun to live it yet!"

And with that Brendan wheeled and stormed down the short
corridor into the room he shared with Rafe, locking them soundly behind him.

Loki stared after him, suddenly intrigued. Who was Brendan
trying to convince? After all, it hadnít escaped his notice that Harper
came from the exact same place and through a lot more hellish experiences,
yet he was more open to possibilities than his cousin.

"Rommie?" He glanced to one side when the
holographic representation of the shipís AI appeared. "Do you have
any files on current Earth and him that I could see?"

"Are you sure you want to be doing this, Loki?"
the AI asked quietly. "He might not appreciate having his privacy
invaded. Humans are funny that way."

Sighing as she recognized the same stubborn tilt to the chin
she witnessed on her captain, Andromeda searched her databanks.
"Downloading all I have on the subject of current Earth and Brendan
Lahey to your quarters. But I urge you to think carefully before reading Mr.
Laheyís file."

"I think I need to understand him, Rommie. Harper went
through a lot worse, but Brendanís harder." Both cousins would have
been startled by Lokiís insight. "It has to be because he was on
Earth longer. I canít help him if I donít know whatís wrong."

"And what if he doesnít want your help?"

"Rhade made him my assignment. My first
assignment." Loki shrugged. "Thanks, Rommie. Let me know if he
comes out of his quarters. It really isnít safe for him to wander around
alone yet."

"I will, but I think itís safe to say he wonít for
a while. Heís somewhat... agitated," Rommie replied after a few
moments. "It might be better to let him calm down a bit before...
continuing your discussions. And Loki? Perhaps he is harder because he must
be a leader of men and send his people out to die. He is your fatherís
human counterpart. Your father cannot afford weakness, though he is learning
to let certain people in. Neither can Mr. Lahey, not when the freedom of his
planet is at stake."

Loki glanced over his shoulder to make sure the door to
Brendan and Rafeís quarters was securely closed. "Rommie, he could no
more effect the freedom of his planet than I could. Actually, I could more
easily because my father would come after me if something happened to me. I
know heís a leader," he added when he could see Andromeda starting to
say something, "but he has a group of a few dozen, a couple of hundred
at most, on a planet that even now is home to a couple of billion humans. It
would, will, take concerted, organized action from every part of the
world to release the Dragan stranglehold. He couldnít do it in his
lifetime, though he has made an admirable start that probably would lead to
a human uprising in a few generations."

"You might be surprised what a human being can aspire
to, Loki," Rafe said quietly from the shadows down the hallway. Heíd
been standing there for a few minutes listening to the debate the
Nietzschean heir and the ship were having.

"The very nature of a human being is to overcome
insurmountable odds in face of unequal opposition. We are the original
survivors, though your people took it to an art form. If we havenít been
destroyed yet, it will take a lot more than the occupation of a planet to do
it.

"And Rommie is right, you might want to consider
treading lightly on this one; you might end up stepping on a land
mine."

Loki nodded sharply, acknowledging their advice, but it was
clear that he didnít intend to take it. "Heíd probably be happier
with human company just now, but call me if you need to leave him
alone," he requested. "I wish my brothers and sisters were still
here," he added thoughtfully. "Itís hard to hate the idea of a
whole race when faced with a two-year-old girl crawling into your lap,"
he said, smiling slightly. "Even Harper crumbled."

"Loki, if he hated your whole race, he wouldnít be
here right now, death sentence or no death sentence. Iíd say that he is
even more stubborn than Harper; heís had a lot more practice at
it," Rafe replied, with a genuine smile and a shake of his head.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, Rommie. Youíd best give
the fool the files he wants, I think." And with that he headed down the
hall to his rooms and the irate Earther.

Several hours later Loki was far better educated on the
state of Earth and what it meant to be a human living there since the Fall.
Only one file remained unread, and he was hesitating over it: Brendanís
file. He started to open it, paused, then resolutely shut the system down.
If necessary he could read it later; for now, he would take Rommie and Rafeís
advice and let it be.

And seeing as it was approaching the time that the main
shift ate, he should go see if Brendan was ready for a meal.

Staring at the door a few moments later, he wondered if the
human would even bother opening it.

Brendan stared at the door, debating whether or not to open
it. He knew who was on the other side, and he wasnít quite sure if he was
ready to deal with the brat just yet. On the other hand he was starving, and
he was on a strange ship full of Boneys... Nietzscheans.

Sighing at his indecisiveness, Brendan hit the door release
and stood there, scowling at Loki. "Well? Come to insult me more, have
you?"

Loki rolled his eyes, but all he said, in a relatively
neutral tone, was, "I thought you might want to go get something to
eat."

"With you?" came the immediate reply.

"Yes. Until my father, Harper, or Rhade says otherwise,
Iím responsible for keeping you alive and preventing a riot on board.
Which means that when youíre going to be around Nietzscheans, Iím around
you."

"Afraid I might say something indelicate or afraid
someone might try to claim me for his little bed toy, just like your father
and Rhade have done with the other humans on board?" Brendan asked,
cocking his head to one side and waiting to see the answer.

Loki burst into laughter. "B-bed toy?" he finally
managed to sputter. "Oh, I would love to see you say that to
Harper, Dylan or Beka! I could sell tickets!"

"Whatever, Iím not hungry, now go away!" Brendan
growled and tried to retreat back into his quarters.

Loki sighed, not moving out of the doorway, knowing Rommie
wouldnít shut it on him. "I think watching out for you includes
making sure you donít starve yourself to death while youíre here. Now
come on, you can ask questions and find out all the awful horrible things we
do to the humans on board," he coaxed.

"And this is supposed to be a selling point?"
Brendan asked, rolling his eyes. "Iím beginning to think that I was
better off on Earth. At least there I knew where I stood, and I knew who my
friends and my enemies were. This is very... strange," he said with a
shake of his head. "And, child, I donít need a keeper or a minder,
thank you all the same. Iím old enough to know when I want to eat, when I
want to sleep and when I wanna take a shite, got it?"

"Well, Iím certain that you can handle the last two
on your own, though youíre likely to get any number of offers for company
for the sleeping partóHarper in particular and Dylan and Captain Valentine
as well have interested the crew. But unless you intend to play well with
others, dinner without me would lead to both of us having to swab blood off
the decks. And Rommie would make us do it by hand too."

"Not like it would be the first time, Iíve had to
clean up blood before," Brendan said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"And it sure as hell wonít be the last time. All right, kid, lead the
way to the mess hall or whatever itís called on this ship. And letís not
talk about my sleeping arrangements, all right? Youíre waay too young for
that."

Loki just gave him a look over his shoulder. "Would you
like me to introduce you to one of the women who works in Medical? People in
that profession know exactly what to do for you." He smiled
smugly as he continued toward the mess, afraid that the human might faint if
he told him that this so-called kid had recently spent a very enjoyable two
days with both the woman in question and one of her male co-workers.

Snorting in reply, Brendan made no comment, just followed
the young Nietzschean into the mess hall. Conversation soon began to die
down, and then another sort of buzz began as there were whispered, called
out questions and out and out speculations. He decided the best way to
handle it was to brazen his way through it, basically ignoring everyone and
everything but the food.

Filling his plate quickly, he took a seat at an empty table
as far away from the crowded section of the room as he could and began to
shovel his food in as if he didnít have a care in the world.

Loki made his own selections a bit more slowly, then joined
Brendan, wondering if it would do more harm than good to point out that he
could eat more slowly, that it wasnít going to be taken away and there was
no limit on how long they could stay. Deciding that it would, he sat
quietly, picking at his own meal, and he looked up with true relief when
Trance arrived.

"Can I join you? I was hoping to find Rafe, but he
doesnít seem to be here yet." The golden alien ignored the renewed
murmurs her arrival and changed appearance had started.

Brendan looked up at the gold-skinned alien that Harper
seemed to trust so much and set his fork aside. "So, what exactly are
you?" he asked bluntly, wondering if heíd get a straight answer.
"And how well do you know my cousin?"

"Iím Trance Gemini. Anything more specific wouldnít
mean a thing to you. And Iím Harperís friend. I was a member of the crew
of the Maru for a little over a year before we encountered the Andromeda
Ascendant. And I suppose I know Harper as well as anyone, though I wasnít
there when Beka, Dylan and Rafe first rescued him."

"Hrmm. Was he happy at least? Living among the stars
like that, after what was done to him?"

"In time. It took a while for him to get over what was
done to him, and honestly, I donít think he ever got over all of it till
he met Tyr. Heíd turned part of himself off, becoming totally celibate to
try to deal with the conditioning. It wouldnít have worked long term. But
he and Tyr..." She smiled. "Once they stopped fighting each other,
it was obvious to everyone, even them as stubborn as they are, that theyíre
perfect for each other.

"And Harper was made to be out here. Iíve never seen
a better engineer in my life... which has been rather longer than you might
think," she added dryly.

"Whereas Iím already missing Earth, nasty, polluted,
nightmarish mudball that it is," Brendan sighed. "But Iím happy
for him then; heís found a home at last. One of us should be able to claim
that."

"You might be surprised how much youíd like it here
if you gave it a chance." Amused blue eyes, the only thing unchanged
about her, moved from Brendan to Loki before returning to her plate as she
took a bite of her salad.

"With recirculated air and metal under my feet and no
hint of a breeze, no oceans to look at, no sunrise or sunset to see?"
Brendan asked, slightly aghast. "Are you mad, woman?"

"Sometimes," she said enigmatically, rising to her
feet with a smile to draw Rafeís attention when she saw him come in.

"The woman is vaguely terrifying," Brendan agreed
under his breath, turning his attention back to his food.

Loki stared from Brendan to Trance and back again. "I
have a feeling it would be a lot more than vaguely if she tried." He
noticed Rhade, Dylan and Beka come in, and he waved them over. He wanted
Brendan to get to know the Nietzschean-human pairings and realize that they
were far from slavery.

Brendan observed the young Nietzschean with hidden mirth. He
seemed bound and determined to make Brendan eat his earlier words about sex
toys and whatnot, parading the Ďhappy couplesí in front of him like
shining examples of cross-species marriages. Ah well, if it made the kid
happy, he thought, greeting Beka and Dylan warmly and Rhade with reserved
respect. Having seen what that one could do in a firefight, Brendan wasnít
about to get on his bad side.

"No Tyr and Harper, huh?" Beka asked with a laugh
as she sat beside her brother, who was facing Brendan. "What a surprise
that is."

Rhade snorted. "What would be a surprise is if we were
to see them within the next three days. I imagine it will be that long
before they get back out of bed." Seated between his two lovers, he
nodded at the others, still somewhat wary of Tranceís new incarnation.

"Do they do that often," Brendan asked, "the
whole disappearing for days on end until theyíve rubbed their dicks raw or
whatever else they do?" he continued, using the local Earther slang for
being exhausted after sex.

"Well, usually only for a few hours," Loki was the
first to reply while several of the others were muffling snickers. "But
this was a rather long separation. They donít handle those well," he
admitted with an expressive grunt worthy of his father.

"Gee really?" Rafe snorted. "Couldnít tell.
Nope, not at all."

Beka smacked her older brother upside the head.
"Behave, thatís Lokiís father weíre discussing. But I swear, if
Harper had asked, ĎAre we there yet?í one more time, I woulda spaced
him!"

"And then my father would have had to kill you, and
Dylan and Rhade would have tried to kill him, and things would have gotten
ugly," Loki laughed. As if Beka would ever do anything to hurt Harper.

"Only if anyone told him. Could have spaced you too and
everyone else would have kept their mouths shut," Beka grinned.

"Iím fairly certain my father is not so oblivious as
not to notice that you returned without his lover or his eldest son,"
Loki pointed out dryly, sounding remarkably like Tyr.

"Died on Earth," Dylan chimed in, enjoying teasing
the young Nietzschean. "Harper did something harebrained, you followed
and thatís all she wrote, two idiots dead at the hands of the Dragans."

Brendan observed the conversation with a quirked eyebrow.
"Does Harper know you plan his demise on a daily basis?" he asked
mildly.

"Sometimes he even joins in," Rommie put in dryly,
flickering into being next to the table. "His plans are the worst,
whether for himself, the captain when theyíre arguing, or anyone else.
That young man has a very wide vindictive streak."

"Almost Nietzschean," Rhade praised.

"Guess again, my friend. That particular streak is pure
Boston Irish," Brendan replied. "We tend to like to hunt our
victims down, do away with them in a particularly heinous fashion, dance a
jig on their grave and come back once a year for the rest of our lives to
repeat the jig. Just to make sure the victim is well and truly dead."

Everyone burst into laughter, nearby Nietzscheans as well.
"Yes indeed, that does sound like our Harper," one of the
engineering crew agreed. He turned to face Brendan. "I hear youíre
his cousin." He eyed the human. "Donít have much of a look of
him, but he has good genes. Welcome to the Andromeda Ascendant."

"I... unh, thanks, and we Laheys and Harpers have
always had good genes," Brendan replied, slightly confounded.

The Nietzschean nodded. "Wouldnít know it to look at
you, which threw us at first, but brains like that... better than some of us
Iíve known." The unfriendly look he gave a man across the hall put
him squarely in that category.

"Um, well, thank you, I think," Brendan replied
cautiously, not wanting to find himself in the middle of a Kodiak mess hall
brawl. "But Seamus is really the brains of the family. I do all right,
but heís the one with the God-given talent. Iím better at...
organizing," the human continued vaguely.

"Everyone has his own skills," the Kodiak agreed
before turning around to continue his dinner.

"Better watch it, Brendan," Beka chuckled,
"or youíll be taking over Harperís position as mascot. I think the
crew is starting to think of him as their lucky charm."

"Better than a box of Fruit Loops, I guess,"
Brendan replied with an amused chuckle.

Everyone stared at him blankly, not getting the joke.

Brendan sighed and shook his head. The people back in Boston
sector would have understood. It just reinforced the fact that he was all
alone up here. "Forget it, just some Earther humor, nothing
important."

"We donít understand Harper half time either,"
Beka agreed. "Then again, weíve lost him a few times too. Spacers and
dirtsiders have different frames of reference. The whole idea of
weather..." She shuddered.

"God, I think I miss that most of all. There was a time
when Earth wasnít quite so dirty, and the oceans were blue, and the rain
was like a cool kiss from heaven. And snow, how I loved snow as a child.
Tiny works of art made out of frozen water, each unique and special, each an
entire world of wonder in something the size of a drop of water. Iím going
to miss that so bloody much," Brendan sighed.

Beka still looked baffled since as far as she was concerned,
the only thing to do with snow was get away from it, but sheíd learned
with Harper not to argue. "Well, just thinking about it has made me
cold, so if youíll excuse me, Iím going back to my quarters for a nice
long, hot shower." She nodded to Brendan and Loki as she rose and made
good her escape; handling Dylan and Agravaine was all she was up to for the
moment.

Looking at the remaining people at the table, Brendan asked.
"Was it something I said?"

"Nahh," Rafe replied good-naturedly. "Beka
just hates real weather. I once took her to a winter resort because I
thought sheíd like to be a snow bunny and tried to get her to join me in a
snowball fight by throwing one at her. She screeched like a Magog and
refused to leave the lodge until it was time to go. She really doesnít
like natural weather," he chuckled.

"And we should probably go after her or weíll be
looking for other quarters," Rhade said, pushing away from the table,
"which would be annoying when Iíve only just moved in.

"If I had only known," he muttered as he and Dylan
started after the blonde.

"If you had only known what?" Dylan asked with a
grin, following closely behind Rhade, close enough to truly admire the show
his ass put on.

"As you can see," Trance said to Brendan, looking
amused, "around here dinnerís more a state of mind than a set time.
Just be grateful you werenít here when all of Tyrís children and many
others of the pride where on board. Total chaos!"

Eyeing Loki carefully, Brendan turned to Trance. "God
help me, thereís more of them than him? Had I known that, Iíd have
brought the Harper family burial shroud. Sounds like my cousin may well need
it!"

Ignoring the laughter with what dignity he could muster,
Loki stated, "I am the oldest of my fatherís children. There
are sixteen of us living, seventeen if Elsbet has given birth."

"But that would mean that she conceived while Seamus...
oooh, I bet that went over like a lead balloon. We Irish tend to be a mite
possessive of our mates. Hopefully your father was up front about it, if he
knew what was good for him. Not that itís my place to say anything. Seamus
seems happy enough, so I suppose I ought not stir the pot, so tíspeak."

"It would be best," Trance agreed with a shudder.
"They find plenty to fight about on their own."

"They are passionate," Loki defended his father
and Harper.

"We know," Trance sighed. "We hear it often
enough."

"Well itís comforting to know my cuz gives as good as
he gets. We have the Harper/Lahey honor to think of, yíknow," Brendan
replied mildly.

Rafe chuckled at this. "Two Irish on the Andromeda.
Life can only get more interesting. I wonder if Tyr really
understands what heís let himself in for?"

"I should hope not; what fun would there be in that, I
ask ye?" Brendan replied with a smirk and a wink.

"My father is equal to any challenge," Loki
announced fiercely.

"Spoken like a young man with a serious case of hero
worship for his father," Brendan chuckled.

"Hey, Iíve learned to never bet against the
house," Rafe laughed and then paused. "But then again Iíve seen
the luck of the Irish in action more than once so Iíve learned to never
bet against an Irishman either. This should prove very
interesting."